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Better a Wity Fool

"Better a witty fool than a foolish wit." - William Shakespeare

In Shakespeare’s plays, the rich and powerful are sometimes clueless, and the penniless “fools” are often the smartest guys in the room. Sound familiar? 

In our illustration we used a king and jester to represent the wise and foolish respectively. We then used text as a device to represent the quality of their thinking.

In contrast to his outward appearance, the fools’ thoughts are rich and dense, forming an elaborate jeweled crown. Likewise, the king’s are sparse and simplistic, forming a jester’s hat. 

The idea of the "witty fool" reminds us of Socrates' famous quotation "I know that I know nothing." Wisdom begins with knowing you're a fool, and we see this quotation as a challenge to engage the world with real curiosity, humility, and openness. As far as the arrogance and self confidence of the "foolish wit" - well let's just do our best to avoid that stuff, shall we? 

This is part of our "Most Absurd" Shakespeare collection. 

SPECIAL OFFER
Any 3 prints for $48 (regularly $72)
Code: 3PRINTS
See all prints here 

• 11x14 inch art print with white border 
• Premium, fine art paper made in New York 
• Elegant eggshell finish
• Ships in a a rigid, flat mailer. No need to unroll! 
• Fits into standard 11x14 frames (or a 16x20 frame matted to 11x14) 

Custom sizes available HERE

$ 24.00

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About Us

Obvious State is a creative studio and independent press founded by Nichole and Evan Robertson in 2011. We make bold, conceptual art that makes you think again.

In the age of clickbait, infotainment, and overstimulation, slow thought has become a luxury. Our work exists to change that. Every piece is handcrafted by Evan — art and language that provoke thought, inspire curiosity, and make the ideas that have always mattered feel urgent again.

Our books and prints are available in our shop and in bookstores and boutiques nationwide.

Our work has been featured at The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Writers Museum, The Emily Dickinson Museum, The Library of Congress, The Getty Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art and more.