“In judging of a beautiful statue, the aesthetic faculty is absolutely and completely gratified by the splendid curves of those marble lips that are dumb to our complaint, the noble modelling of those limbs that are powerless to help us.”
- October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900
- Irish
- Author, poet, playwright
- Written novels, plays, and poems such as “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and “Salome,” he had a great influence on British literature in the late 19th century through his witty social criticism and humor.
Quote
“In judging of a beautiful statue, the aesthetic faculty is absolutely and completely gratified by the splendid curves of those marble lips that are dumb to our complaint, the noble modelling of those limbs that are powerless to help us.”
Explanation
In this quote, Oscar Wilde reflects on the nature of beauty in art—specifically in the case of a statue—and the separation between form and function. He suggests that when we admire a beautiful statue, we are entirely gratified by its aesthetic qualities: the curves of its marble lips and the noble modelling of its limbs. These features fulfill the aesthetic faculty, or our appreciation of beauty, but they are immobile and unresponsive—the lips are dumb to our complaints, and the limbs are powerless to help us. Wilde points out that while we admire the beauty of the statue, it remains fundamentally inert and unable to engage with us beyond its visual appeal.
Wilde’s words underscore his belief in the value of beauty as an artistic experience, where the purpose of art is not necessarily to serve a practical function or to interact with us in a meaningful way, but to provide us with pure visual enjoyment. The statue, while it cannot help or respond to us, provides a sense of satisfaction simply through its aesthetic form.
In modern contexts, this quote reflects on the idea that art can exist for its own sake, separate from utility, offering us beauty and aesthetic pleasure without the need for it to have a functional or interactive role in our lives. It highlights how art can be appreciated for its form and expression, without requiring it to do more than provide visual or emotional satisfaction. Wilde’s words invite us to celebrate art’s pure beauty and its ability to stir our emotions, even when it is silent and motionless.
