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Opera, next to Gothic architecture, is one of the strangest inventions of western man. It could not have been foreseen by any logical process.

— Kenneth Clark Civilisation (1969)

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More quotes by Kenneth Clark

Leonardo is the Hamlet of art history whom each of us must recreate for himself.

Leonardo da Vinci (1939)

In time of war all countries behave equally badly, because the power of action is handed over to stupid and obstinate men.

The Other Half: A Self Portrait (1977)

It is lack of confidence, more than anything else, that kills a civilisation. We can destroy ourselves by cynicism and disillusion, just as effectively as by bombs.

Civilisation (1969)

Heroes do not easily tolerate the company of other heroes.

Civilisation (1969)

One musn't overrate the culture of what used to be called "top people" before the wars. They had charming manners, but they were as ignorant as swans.

Civilisation (1969)

All Kenneth Clark quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Kenneth Clark (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.