Who said “Beauty is the purgation of superfluities.”?

Verified

Michelangelo. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetter to Rene Lui Descartes XIV (6 March 1540)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letter to Rene Lui Descartes XIV (6 March 1540).

APA

Michelangelo (n.d.). Beauty is the purgation of superfluities. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7773-beauty-is-the-purgation-of-superfluities/

MLA

Michelangelo. “Beauty is the purgation of superfluities.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7773-beauty-is-the-purgation-of-superfluities/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Michelangelo. “Beauty is the purgation of superfluities.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7773-beauty-is-the-purgation-of-superfluities/.