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Single Idea 6676

[from 'Pensées' by Blaise Pascal, in 21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 3. Artistic Representation ]

Full Idea

How vain painting is, exciting admiration by its resemblance to things of which we do not admire the originals.

Gist of Idea

Painting makes us admire things of which we do not admire the originals

Source

Blaise Pascal (Pensées [1662], 40 (134))

Book Reference

Pascal,Blaise: 'Pensées', ed/tr. Krailsheimer,A.J. [Penguin 1966], p.38


A Reaction

A lesser sort of painting simply depicts things we admire, such as a nice stretch of landscape. For Pascal it is vanity, but it could be defended as the highest achievement of art, if the purpose of artists is to make us see beauty where we had missed it.