Le superflu, chose très nécessaire. — Voltaire | Printable Wall Art

“Le superflu, chose très nécessaire.”
“The superfluous, a very necessary thing.”

Words by Voltaire (1694-1778) — French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, and satirist.

About this quote

Voltaire suggests that human happiness relies on more than mere survival. While basic necessities keep us alive, it is the extra things, such as art, beauty, comfort, and small luxuries, that make life genuinely enjoyable and worth living. The phrase cleverly flips standard moral advice by arguing that elegance and pleasure are actually essential to a fulfilled life.

This line comes from Voltaire’s satirical poem Le Mondain, published in 1736. Writing during the Enlightenment, he defended luxury, comfort, and the refined pleasures of modern civilisation against traditional praise for ancient, austere living.

People often hang this print in a living room or kitchen to celebrate the small, elegant pleasures of daily life.

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.