Artist

Explore 195 quotes by Artists

I think the peasant girl is more beautiful than a lady, in her dusty, patched blue skirt and bodice, which get the most delicate hues from weather, wind, and sun. But if she puts on a lady's dress, she loses her peculiar charm.

Vincent Van Gogh

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Topic

Beautiful women Beauty

Author

Vincent Van Gogh

Source

Letters of Vincent Van Gogh

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

Dutch

Time

1885 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Van Gogh, Vincent. Letter to Theo van Gogh. 30 Apr. 1885.

Current Citation

Van Gogh, Vincent. Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh, edited by Irving Stone and Jean Stone. Plume, 1995.

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

William Blake

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Topic

Creation of the world Stars

Author

William Blake

Source

The Tyger

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Question

Language

English

Time

1794 1790s 18th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Blake, William. "The Tyger." Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. London, 1794.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "The Tyger." William Blake: Selected Poems, edited by Nicholas Shrimpton. Oxford University Press, 2019.

Oh why was I born with a different face?
Why was I not born like the rest of my race?

William Blake

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Topic

Fitting in

Author

William Blake

Source

O! why was I born with a different face?

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Question

Language

English

Time

1803 1800s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Blake, William. Letter to Thomas Butts. Aug. 1803.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "[To] Mr. Butts August 16, 1803 'O why was I born with a different face.'" The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake. University of California Press, 2008.

Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others.

Pablo Picasso

More information about this quote

Topic

Success Self-indulgence Originality

Speaker

Pablo Picasso

Source

Vogue

Medium

Interview Magazine

Language

French

Time

1956 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Picasso, Pablo. "Picasso." Interviewed by Alexander Liberman. Vogue, 1 Nov. 1956.

The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.
The last of the goat is the bounty of God.
The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.
The nakedness of woman is the work of God.

William Blake

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

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Topic

God and nature

Author

William Blake

Source

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

Medium

Poem

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

English

Time

1794 1790s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Blake, William. "Proverbs of Hell." The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. c. 1790.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell." The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake, edited by David V. Erdman. University of California Press, 2008.

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life and bid the feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, wooly, bright.

William Blake

Songs of Innocence

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Topic

Animals

Author

William Blake

Source

Songs of Innocence

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1789 1780s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Blake, William. "The Lamb." Songs of Innocence. London, 1789.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "The Lamb." William Blake: Selected Poems, edited by Nicholas Shrimpton. Oxford University Press, 2019.

Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.

Jackson Pollock

More information about this quote

Topic

Self-discovery Self-expression Artistic expression Painting Art

Speaker

Jackson Pollock

Source

Conversations with Artists: 35 American Painters, Sculptors and Architects Discuss Their Work and One Another with Selden Rodman

Medium

Interview

Language

English

Time

20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Pollock, Jackson. Interviewed by Selden Rodman. c. 1956.

I have no other wish than a close fusion with nature.

Claude Monet

More information about this quote

Topic

Man and nature Nature

Speaker

Claude Monet

Source

The Artist in His Studio

Medium

Interview

Language

French

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Monet, Claude. The Artist in His Studio, written by Alexander Liberman. Viking Press, 1960.

I cannot help it that my pictures do not sell. Nevertheless the time will come when people will see that they are worth more than the price of the paint.

Vincent Van Gogh

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Topic

Starving artist Art market Art

Author

Vincent Van Gogh

Source

Letters of Vincent Van Gogh

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Prophecies and predictions

Language

French

Time

1888 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Van Gogh, Vincent. Letter to Theo van Gogh. 25 Oct. 1888.

Current Citation

Van Gogh, Vincent. Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh, edited by Irving Stone and Jean Stone. Plume, 1995.

Art has always been the raft on to which we climb to save our sanity.

Dorothea Tanning

Quoted in Salon

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Topic

Art as therapy Purpose of art Art

Speaker

Dorothea Tanning

Source

Salon

Medium

Interview

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

2002 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Tanning, Dorothea. Interviewed by John Glassing. Salon, 11 Feb. 2002, https://www.salon.com/2002/02/11/tanning/.

Let frustration fuel inspiration.

Sonia Boyce

More information about this quote

Topic

Artistic development Inspiration Activism

Speaker

Sonia Boyce

Source

Times Higher Education

Medium

Interview

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

2015 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Boyce, Sonia. Interviewed by John Elmes. Times Higher Education, 17 Dec. 2015.

All experience is great providing you live through it.

Alice Neel

More information about this quote

Topic

Life experience Caveats

Author

Alice Neel

Source

Alice Neel: Black and White

Language

English

Time

2002 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Neel, Alice. Alice Neel: Black and White. c. 1984.

Resemblance reproduces the formal aspect of objects, but neglects their spirit; truth shows the spirit and substance in like perfection.

Jing Hao

More information about this quote

Topic

Painting

Author

Jing Hao

Source

Notes on Brushwork

Language

Chinese

Time

925 920s 10th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Ching Hao. Pi-fa-chi [Notes on Brushwork]. c. 925.

Current Citation

Ching Hao. Ching Hao's Pi-fa-chi: A Note on the Art of Brush, translated by Kiyohiko Munakata. Artebus Asiae Publishers, 1974.

People sometimes say that the way things happen in the movies is unreal, but actually it's the way things happen to you in life that's unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it's like watching television—you don't feel anything.

Andy Warhol

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again)

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Topic

Movies

Author

Andy Warhol

Source

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again)

Genre

Autobiography and memoir

Language

English

Time

1975 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Warhol, Andy. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again). Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975, ch. 6.

Jesus was sitting in Moses’ chair,
They brought the trembling woman there.
Moses commands she be ston’d to death,
What was the sound of Jesus’ breath?
He laid His hand on Moses’ law:
The ancient Heavens, in silent awe,
Writ with curses from pole to pole,
All away began to roll.

William Blake

The Everlasting Gospel

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Topic

Old vs. New Testament Law and gospel Jesus Moses

Author

William Blake

Source

The Everlasting Gospel

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1818 1810s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Blake, William. The Everlasting Gospel. c. 1818.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "The Everlasting Gospel." Blake: Poems, edited by Peter Washington. Everyman's Library, 1994.

Renoir painted his whole life long, down to his very last day. He painted a little still life of fruit, in bed, the day before he died.

Henri Matisse

More information about this quote

Topic

Self-discipline Dedication Hard work

Speaker

Henri Matisse

Medium

Interview

Language

French

Time

1941 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Matisse, Henri. Chatting with Henri Matisse: The Lost 1941 Interview. Interviewed by Pierre Courthion, edited by Serge Guilbaut, translated by Chris Miller. Getty Publications, 2013, p. 90.

I was half mad with beauty on that day.

William Morris

More information about this quote

Topic

Beauty

Author

William Morris

Source

The Defense of Guenevere

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1858 1850s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Morris, William. "The Defence of Guenevere." The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems. London: Bell & Daldy, 1858.

The only works of art America has given are her plumbing and her bridges.

Marcel Duchamp

More information about this quote

Topic

Criticism of America America

Author

Marcel Duchamp

Language

English

Time

1917 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Duchamp, Marcel. "The Richard Mutt Case." The Blind Man, May 1917.

Art is meant to disturb, science reassures.

Georges Braque

More information about this quote

Topic

Art and science Purpose of art Art Science

Author

Georges Braque

Source

Journals of Georges Braque

Medium

Personal journal

Language

French

Time

1952 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Braque, Georges. Le Jour et la nuit: Cahiers 1917-52 [Day and Night. Notebooks 1917-1952]. Gallimard, 1952.

Current Citation

Braque, Georges. Illustrated Notebooks: 1917-1955, translated by Stanley Appelbaum. Dover Publications, 1971.

Painting is the best way I've found to get along with myself.

Robert Rauschenberg

Quoted in The New Yorker

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More information about this quote

Topic

Self-acceptance Art as therapy Painting Art

Speaker

Robert Rauschenberg

Source

The New Yorker

Medium

Interview Magazine

Language

English

Time

2005 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Rauschenberg, Robert. "Everything in Sight: Robert Rauschenberg's New Life." Interviewed by Calvin Tompkins. The New Yorker, 23 May 2005, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/05/23/everything-in-sight.