The Frances
Contemporary Art Gallery

"Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficlie"

Quotation by the Greek 'Father of Medicine' - Hippocrates.

 

This would lead us to interpret the meaning as 'it takes a long time to acquire and perfect one's expertise (in say medicine)and one has but a short time in which to do it'