Am farbigen Abglanz haben wir das Leben. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe | Printable Wall Art

“Am farbigen Abglanz haben wir das Leben.”
“It is in the colorful reflection that we have life.”

Words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) — German poet, novelist, and statesman.

About this quote

Goethe suggests that human beings cannot look directly at pure truth or absolute reality without being dazzled. Instead, we experience and understand life through its varied, colourful reflections in the everyday world. True living lies in appreciating these indirect glimpses, art, and nature, rather than striving for an unachievable, blinding ideal.

This famous closing line of the opening scene in Faust, Part Two (1832) is spoken by Faust. Watching a rainbow in the spray of a waterfall, he realises he cannot look directly at the sun.

People often hang this print in a living room or study to encourage thoughtful contemplation of life's daily beauty.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.