Raphael or a Matisse need wait, cap in hand at the mansion door." - Meaning and context.">
"The Cleric of Treason".
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In the Soviet Union, he knew, great art hangs in public galleries. No scholars, no men and women waiting to mend their souls before a Raphael or a Matisse need wait, cap in hand at the mansion door.

— George Steiner

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "In the Soviet Union, he knew, great art hangs in public galleries. No scholars, no men and women waiting to mend their souls before a Raphael or a Matisse need wait, cap in hand at the mansion door." in the context of ""The Cleric of Treason"." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "George Steiner" (Quotes, George Steiner: A Reader (1984)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
George Steiner

About George Steiner

Francis George Steiner (April 23, 1929 – February 3, 2020) was a French-born American literary critic, essayist, philosopher, novelist, translator, and educator, who wrote extensively about the relationship between language, literature and society, and the impact of the Holocaust.