Michelangelo worked from within. He described not the excitements of touching or seeing a man but the excitement of being Man.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Crisp praises Michelangelo for capturing inner humanity rather than physical desire.
- In plain terms
- Michelangelo showed the spirit of being human, not just physical attraction.
- What can you take from it?
- True art focuses on inner essence over surface appeal.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What matters more in art: form or spirit?
- Can we separate body and soul?
Another view
It implies physical appreciation is lesser, which is debatable.
More from Quentin Crisp
Posing was the first job I did in which I understood what I was doing.
Permalink to quote #23 When stripped, I looked less like 'Il David' than a plucked chicken that died of myxomatosis.
Permalink to quote #25 If I have any talent at all, it is not for doing but for being.
Permalink to quote #22
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