---
title: "This became Delacroix's theme: that the achievements of the spirit - … — Kenneth Clark Quote #41 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "This became Delacroix's theme: that the achievements of the spirit - all that a great library contained - were the result of a state of society so de… — a quote by Kenneth Clark."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # This became Delacroix's theme: that the achievements of the spirit - all that a great library contained - were the result of a state of society so delicately balanced that at the least touch they would be crushed beneath an avalanche of pent-up animal forces.

[Kenneth Clark](https://quotesby.net/Kenneth-Clark)\#41[WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)](https://wa.me/?text=%E2%80%9CThis%20became%20Delacroix%27s%20theme%3A%20that%20the%20achievements%20of%20the%20spirit%20-%20all%20that%20a%20great%20library%20contained%20-%20were%20the%20result%20of%20a%20state%20of%20society%20so%20delicately%20balanced%20that%20at%20the%20least%20touch%20they%20would%20be%20crushed%20beneath%20an%20avalanche%20of%20pent-up%20animal%20forces.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20Kenneth%20Clark%20https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FKenneth-Clark%2F41%2F)[X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%9CThis%20became%20Delacroix%27s%20theme%3A%20that%20the%20achievements%20of%20the%20spirit%20-%20all%20that%20a%20great%20library%20contained%20-%20were%20the%20result%20of%20a%20state%20of%20society%20so%20delicately%20balanced%20that%20at%20the%20least%20touch%20they%20would%20be%20crushed%20beneath%20an%20avalanche%20of%20pent-up%20animal%20forces.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20Kenneth%20Clark&url=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FKenneth-Clark%2F41%2F)[Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FKenneth-Clark%2F41%2F)

## More from Kenneth Clark

1. > For the student of visionary art the interesting fact is that an image comes first and takes up residence in the mind long before the artist has any notion why…

[Permalink to quote \#40](https://quotesby.net/Kenneth-Clark/40/ "Permalink to quote 40")
2. > Fine colour implies a unified relationship, in which each part is subordinate to the whole, and the transitions between them are felt to be as precious and bea…

[Permalink to quote \#42](https://quotesby.net/Kenneth-Clark/42/ "Permalink to quote 42")
3. > Ingres was one of those artists to whom the outline was something sacred and magical, and the reason is that it was the means of reconciling the major conflict…

[Permalink to quote \#39](https://quotesby.net/Kenneth-Clark/39/ "Permalink to quote 39")

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