Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt — German Proverb | Printable Wall Art

“Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt”
“Not all that glitters is gold.”

A traditional German saying, set as gallery-quality typographic wall art.

About this quote

This ancient proverb warns against judging things purely by their outward appearance. Something that looks attractive, valuable, or promising on the surface may turn out to be ordinary or harmful upon closer inspection. It encourages us to look beneath superficial charm, exercise quiet discernment, and value genuine substance over flashy pretension in our daily choices, relationships, and material pursuits.

This traditional German proverb has circulated in European folklore for centuries. Similar phrasing appears in medieval Latin texts and across various languages, including William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice.

People often hang this print in a home office or study as a daily reminder to value true quality.

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.