The Ugly Art of Soul. in Nietzsche, Human all too Human, 152

by Corry Shores
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Friedrich Nietzsche

Human all too Human

IV. From the Souls of Artists and Writers

152

Art can be created with those who strike us as having a deep inner self that is attuned to what is beautiful. They seem to have a "beautiful soul" that is orderly, respectable, and well-behaved.

However, these sorts do not produce "the mightiest effects of art, the crushing of souls, moving of stones and humanising of beasts." Here lies the importance of the ugly artistic soul.

From the Nietzsche Channel translation:

152

The art of the ugly soul.— Art is confined within too narrow limits if it be required that only the orderly, respectable, well-behaved soul should be allowed to express itself therein. As in the plastic arts, so also in music and poetry: there is an art of the ugly soul side by side with the art of the beautiful soul; and the mightiest effects of art, the crushing of souls, moving of stones and humanising of beasts, have perhaps been best achieved precisely by that art.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Human all too Human. Transl. Helen Zimmern, R. J. Hollingdale, and Marion Faber. Available online at:

http://www.geocities.com/thenietzschechannel/human1.htm