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One has a nose. The nose scents and it chooses. An artist is simply a kind of pig snouting truffles.
Igor Stravinsky
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that an artist uses their instinct to find and create beauty, much like a pig finds truffles through its keen sense of smell.

Igor Stravinsky's quote metaphorically compares an artist to a pig that sniffs out truffles, illustrating how artists rely on their innate sense of perception to identify and create meaningful art. Just as a pig is guided by its nose to discover the hidden treasures of the earth, an artist uses their instincts and emotions to uncover and express beauty in the world around them, implying that creativity is a natural talent that requires both sensitivity and exploration.

Themes

ArtistCreativityInstinctPerceptionBeauty

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech at an art gallery opening, one could say, 'As Stravinsky reminds us, an artist sniffs out beauty just like a pig finds truffles.'

More from Igor Stravinsky

My music is best understood by children and animals.
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Conductors' careers are made for the most part with 'Romantic' music. 'Classic' music eliminates the conductor; we do not remember him in it.
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The trouble with music appreciation in general is that people are taught to have too much respect for music they should be taught to love it instead.
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Invention presupposes imagination but should not be confused with it.
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I was born out of due time in the sense that by temperament and talent I should have been more suited for the life of a small Bach, living in anonymity and composing regularly for an established service and for God.
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A composer is not only an architect but also an inventor, and he should not build houses in which he cannot live.
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