Simplicity is the essential, vital element of description. — Alexander von Humboldt · Smartyfair

Simplicity is the essential, vital element of description.

Alexander von Humboldt1769–1859 · naturalist · 1700s-1800s Prussia & Latin AmericaAlexander von Humboldt was a Prussian naturalist and explorer who traveled through Latin America measuring mountains, mapping rivers, and studying plants, animals, and volcanoes — including a record-setting climb of Ecuador's Chimborazo higher than anyone had climbed before.4 quotes

Source foundWisdomCreativity1800s

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Where these words come from

How sure this is: 95% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to Varnhagen von Ense, trans. Friedrich Kapp (Rudd & Carleton, 1860; Gutenberg #67420). Letter 61, Humboldt to Varnhagen, Dec. 7, 1841.
Work: Letters to Varnhagen von Ense
Occasion: 1841 · praising a friend's biography of the soldier Schwerin
Sources checked: gutenberg.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 21 August 2026Kapp translation, Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to Varnhagen von Ense; letter of Dec. 7, 1841 praising a friend's biography

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