That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal; from which it follows that irregularity β that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and astonishment, are a essential part and characteristic of beauty.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Whether you come from heaven or hell, what does it matter, O Beauty!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the origins of beauty are irrelevant to its significance and impact.
In this quote, Charles Baudelaire emphasizes that beauty transcends its origins, whether divine or infernal. The focus is on the absolute value and transformative power of beauty itself, which exists independently of the conditions that produce it. This challenges conventional perceptions of beauty as linked to morality or origin, inviting a deeper appreciation for its presence in the world.
Themes
BeautyArtPerceptionValueOrigin
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about art history, you might use this quote to illustrate that beauty can be appreciated regardless of its background.
More from Charles Baudelaire
All quotes βThe dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Who among us has not dreamt, in moments of ambition, of the miracle of a poetic prose, musical without rhythm and rhyme, supple and staccato enough to adapt to the lyrical stirrings of the soul, the undulations of dreams, and sudden leaps of consciousness.
Charles BaudelaireRead
There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.
Charles BaudelaireRead
The priest is an immense being because he makes the crowd believe astonishing things.
Charles BaudelaireRead
I consider it useless and tedious to represent what exists, because nothing that exists satisfies me. Nature is ugly, and I prefer the monsters of my fancy to what is positively trivial.
Charles BaudelaireRead
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History repeats itself, but the special call of an art which has passed away is never reproduced. It is as utterly gone out of the world as the song of a destroyed wild bird.
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Beauty addresses itself chiefly to sight, but there is a beauty for the hearing too, as in certain combinations so words and in all kinds of music; for melodies and cadences are beautiful; and minds that lift themselves above the realm of sense to a higher order are aware of beauty in the conduct of life, in actions, in character, in the pursuits of the intellect; and there is the beauty of the virtues.
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When I am shooting a film I never think of how I want to shoot something; I simply shoot it.
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What is drawing? It is working oneself through an invisible iron wall that seems to stand between what one feels and what one can do.
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