DETAILS- LITTLE THINGS, BIG DEAL

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD: "THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS" ?

I knew part of the origin of this phrase; that it was sometimes attributed to Michelangelo & that it was derived from a saying relating to the nature of creation and The Creator.  Now… more details:

-The "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996) shows this phrase as a variation of "God is in the details - Whatever one does should be done thoroughly; details are important. The saying is generally attributed to Gustave Flaubert (1821-80), who is often quoted as saying, 'Le bon Dieu est dans le detail' (God is in the details). Other attributions include Michelangelo, the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and the art historian Aby Warburg. 'The Devil is in the details' is a variant of the proverb, referring to a catch hidden in the details. 'Governing is in the details''and 'The truth, if it exists, is in the details' are recent variants. Listed as an anonymous saying in the sixteenth edition of Barlett's 'Familiar Quotations,' edited by Justin Kaplan."

'God is in the details.'
It seems generally accepted that this was something said by the German-born architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) although almost certainly it was not invented by him. His obituary in The New York Times (1969) attributed it to him but the saying also appears to have been a favourite of the German art historian Aby Warburg (though E.M. Gombrich, his biographer, is not certain that it originated with him). In the form Le bon Dieu est dans le détail, it has also been attributed to Gustave Flaubert (1821-80). Subsequently, there has arisen the saying 'The devil is in the detail' which has been described as a maxim of the German pop musician, Blixa Bargeld. He probably did not invent it himself

The details are much of what it's about for me- it's what jazzes me- gives me a kick.  It makes painting fun, and, often more demanding.  I'm aware that my pieces are sometimes cluttered or busy.  But hey, don't you ever just overdo it sometimes; when you're enjoying the corn chips, the wine, or maybe... the desert?  I'm working on it.

Indeed: "God has made all thing beautiful in it's time", and details are His specialty.

To view more of the artist work: www.rgordonart.com