“A genuine work of art must mean many things; the truer its art, the more things it will mean. If my drawing, on the other hand, is so far from being a work of art that it needs THIS IS A HORSE written under it, what can it matter that neither you nor your child should know what it means? It is there not so much to convey a meaning as to wake a meaning. If it do not even wake an interest, throw it aside. A meaning may be there, but it is not for you. If, again, you do not know a horse when you see it, the name written under it will not serve you much. At all events, the business of the painter is not to teach zoology.”
Quote by George MacDonald
Work
The Light Princess and Other Fairy Stories
Browse quotes and source details for this work. more
Author
George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a 19th-century Scottish author known for his fantasy literature and religious thought. His works had a profound influence on later writers, such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. more
You May Also Like
Source: The Girl at Midnight
Source: An Experiment in Criticism
Source: Notes on the Cinematographer
Source: Lovember: A Collection of Short Love Stories
“Forests were the first temples of God and in forests men grasped their first idea of architecture.”
Source: Introduction to Architecture
Source: Space Opera
Source: Sailing to Sarantium
“In terms of priority, inspiration comes first. You come next. The audience comes last.”
Source: The Creative Act: A Way of Being