How and why is simplicity said to be the ultimate in sophistication?
Thats a beautifully worded question. The painting Mona Lisa is a good answer to your question. Its a picture of a somewhat unattractive woman, and its quite small is size. Its size is important, because Michelangelo worked on it for 12 years, carrying it from place to place while he did jobs for hire. During that time he spent endless hours working on shading and other detail, often redoing things he didnt like. Of course the end result is astoundingly simple, elegant.