In the arts the way in which an idea is rendered, and the manner in which it is expressed, is much more important than the idea itself.
Jacques-Louis DavidRead
If the work is poor, the public taste will soon do it justice. And the author, reaping neither glory nor fortune, will learn by hard experience how to correct his mistakes.
Interpretation
Poor quality work will ultimately be judged by the public, leading the creator to learn from their mistakes.
This quote by Jacques-Louis David emphasizes the idea that the quality of art or work will naturally be evaluated by the audience. If an artist creates something that does not resonate with the public, they will not receive praise or success, thus pushing them to reflect on their shortcomings and improve their craft through experience.
In practice
In a discussion about artistic integrity, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of quality in creative work.
In the arts the way in which an idea is rendered, and the manner in which it is expressed, is much more important than the idea itself.
You a slave to a page in my rhyme book.
When you draw a nude, sketch the whole figure and nicely fit the members to it and to each other. Even though you may only finish one portion of the drawing, just make certain that all the parts hang together, so that the study will be useful to you in the future.
Prose is like hair; it shines with combing.
Form is, in a way, death. A novelist's obligation is to break free from the form, even though he knows that this will also be seen as artificial and distanced from life.
I don't make any distinction between a popular TV series or blockbuster film and doing Shakespeare. They're different, but as long as the material is good and the intention is honourable, it's all the same to me.
Truly great actors carry their characters in silence with them. They communicate without words the relationships that predate the movie.
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