Quote #44

The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things. The highest, as the lowest, form of criticism is a mode of autobiography.

More from Oscar Wilde

  1. The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
  2. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in …
  3. To be good, according to the vulgar standard of goodness, is obviously quite easy. It merely requires a certain amount of sordid terror, a …
  4. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.
  5. There is no sin except stupidity.
  6. The nineteenth century dislike of Realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass. The nineteenth century dislike of Romantic…
  7. The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect m…
  8. As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.

All Oscar Wilde quotes