“To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim.”
The quote in the title of this piece has been around for a long long time. It’s first incarnation is from Roman times, the rhetorician Quintilian (35 AD – 100 AD) said, “The perfection of art is to conceal art.” Another unattributed, and probably more contemporary version says, “ars est celare artem” or “True art is to conceal art.” In more recent times Oscar Wilde said, “To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim.” It is also the what inspired this piece.
The Fantastical 