All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music. For while in all other kinds of art it is possible to distinguish the matter from the form, and the understanding can always make this distinction, yet it is the constant effort of art to obliterate it. That the mere matter of a poem, for instance, its subject, namely, its given incidents or situation–that the mere matter of a picture, the actual circumstances of an event, the actual topography of a landscape–should be nothing without the form, the spirit, of the handling, that this form, this mode of handling, should become an end in itself, should penetrate every part of the matter: this is what all art constantly strives after, and achieves in different degrees.

Walter Pater's assertion that "all art constantly aspires towards the condition of music" highlights his belief in the intrinsic unity of form and content in artistic expression. Music, in Pater's view, embodies a seamless integration of these elements, where the medium and message are inextricably linked, and the form becomes inseparable from the content. By aspiring toward music's condition, other art forms aim to achieve a similar synthesis, where the execution and the emotional or intellectual substance are coalesced. Pater suggests that the greatness of art lies in its capacity to marry the tangible and intangible, to make the form not just a vessel for content but a vital part of the artistic experience. Whether in poetry or painting, the ideal expression is one where form and matter are indistinguishably intertwined, creating an art that resonates profoundly with its audience.