The Famous Quote That Challenges Artistic Competition
Source “Competitions are for horses, not artists.”
This powerful statement has echoed through concert halls and art studios for decades. Béla Bartók | Biography, Compositions, & Facts | Britannica Artists worldwide have embraced these words as validation for their skepticism toward competitive frameworks. The quote challenges a fundamental assumption: can we truly judge creative expression through contests and rankings?
Most people attribute this saying to Béla Bartók, the celebrated Hungarian composer. Why This Quote Resonates With Artists – Psychology Today Source However, tracking down its exact origins proves surprisingly difficult. The thirteen-year gap raises intriguing questions about authenticity and transmission.
Why This Quote Resonates With Artists
Creative work defies simple measurement. Unlike athletic competitions where times and scores provide clear winners, art operates in subjective territory. A painting that moves one viewer might leave another cold. Similarly, a musical interpretation that thrills one listener could bore another.
Artists bristle at competitive judgments for good reason. Their work emerges from deeply personal places. Consequently, reducing it to rankings feels reductive and crude. The horse racing metaphor captures this perfectly—horses run for speed, artists create for meaning.
Moreover, competition introduces external pressures that can corrupt the creative process. When artists chase prizes instead of authentic expression, their work suffers. They second-guess instincts and pander to judges’ preferences.
Tracing the Quote’s Journey Through History
The earliest documented appearance came in September 1958. A New York Times reporter wrote about a musical festival in Bucharest. The article mentioned musicians discussing Bartók’s perspective on competitions. However, this reference was indirect—someone quoted what Bartók allegedly said rather than citing him directly.
Four years later, The Saturday Review published a more substantial attribution. Carl Battaglia’s August 1962 article stated that Bartók probably expressed what many musicians felt. He wrote that the composer declared competitions belonged to horses, not artists. This article became the foundation for future citations.
Indeed, James B. Simpson’s 1964 compilation “Contemporary Quotations” referenced Battaglia’s piece. This inclusion helped cement the attribution in public consciousness. Subsequently, the quote appeared in numerous books and articles.
The Hungarian Connection
Joseph Szigeti provided a crucial clue in 1969. The distinguished Hungarian violinist suggested Bartók used the word “verseny” in his original statement. This Hungarian term carries dual meanings—it refers to both competitions generally and horse racing specifically.
This linguistic detail makes Bartók’s wordplay particularly clever. Source He exploited the double meaning to create a pointed critique. Additionally, Szigeti noted that Bartók viewed musical competitions negatively.
Variations and Evolution
The quote appears in multiple forms throughout historical records. Some versions say “competition is for horses” using singular form. Others specify musicians rather than artists in general. These variations suggest the saying traveled through many retellings and translations.
In 1978, The Washington Post used the singular version. Later, in 1986, Alfie Kohn’s book “No Contest: The Case Against Competition” included the phrase. The 1996 edition of “The International Thesaurus of Quotations” also featured it.
Interestingly, Joe Eszterhas rendered it differently in 2006. His version said “Competitions are for horses, not men.” This broadened the application beyond artistic contexts to encompass all human endeavors.
A Modern Echo of the Same Sentiment
Nick Cave articulated similar philosophy in 1996. The rock musician declined an MTV nomination for Best Male Artist Award. He wrote about protecting his muse from competitive judgments. Cave explicitly stated his muse was not a horse and he was not in any race.
Furthermore, Cave refused to harness his creativity to what he called “a bloody cart of severed heads and glittering prizes.” This independent expression suggests the underlying philosophy transcends specific artistic disciplines. Artists across different fields share this skepticism toward competition.
The Irony of Competitive Art
Michael Johnson highlighted this contradiction in 2009. Writing for The New York Times, he noted that despite Bartók’s famous objection, competitions have proliferated. Young performers increasingly embrace these opportunities. They treat them almost like sporting events.
Additionally, Johnson speculated that Bartók would be horrified by modern competition culture. Source The intensity and frequency of these contests have increased dramatically since 1945.
The Missing Primary Source
No researcher has located Bartók’s original Hungarian statement. This absence creates uncertainty about the exact wording. However, the quote’s widespread acceptance suggests it captures Bartók’s documented views authentically.
The Hungarian quotation website Citatum features this saying. Nevertheless, their citation points to an English-language source rather than a Hungarian original. This reveals that even Hungarian websites rely on English translations.
What This Quote Means for Artists Today
The saying remains relevant because artistic competition continues growing. Music competitions, art prizes, and writing contests multiply each year. Meanwhile, artists still struggle with the same fundamental question: can judges fairly evaluate creative work?
Many artists echo Bartók’s skepticism. They argue that competition distorts artistic development. Young performers learn to chase prizes instead of developing authentic voices. Consequently, their work becomes calculated rather than inspired.
However, competitions also provide opportunities. They offer exposure, funding, and career advancement. For emerging artists, winning a major competition can launch a professional career. This creates a difficult dilemma.
The Philosophical Core
The quote touches something deeper than practical concerns. It challenges how we value creative work. Should art serve competitive frameworks, or should it exist for its own sake? This question matters because it shapes artistic culture.
When we treat art like horse racing, we reduce it to spectacle. We focus on winners and losers instead of meaning and beauty. Moreover, we create hierarchies that may not reflect true artistic value.
Alternatively, we could celebrate art without ranking it. Different works could coexist without competing. This approach honors the subjective nature of aesthetic experience.
Why the Quote Endures
This saying persists because it articulates what many artists feel but struggle to express. It provides language for their discomfort with competitive frameworks. Furthermore, it comes with the authority of a respected composer’s name.
Whether Bartók actually said these exact words matters less than the truth they contain. The sentiment resonates because it captures a genuine tension in artistic life. Artists create from vulnerability and passion, not from competitive drive.
Conclusion
The statement “Competitions are for horses, not artists” continues sparking debate decades after its first appearance. While we cannot definitively prove Bartók originated it, the evidence suggests he expressed similar views. The quote’s journey through history reflects how ideas evolve through retelling and translation.
More importantly, the saying endures because it addresses a timeless concern. How should we value and evaluate creative work? Can competitive frameworks serve art, or do they fundamentally misunderstand it? These questions remain as relevant today as they were in Bartók’s era. Artists still grapple with the tension between authentic expression and external validation. The horse racing metaphor reminds us that not everything worth doing is worth competing over.