Top 639 Most Famous Arts Quotes with Images Ranked by Users

Discover a curated collection of beautiful Arts Quotes with images. All quotes have been ranked by users.

Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see.

This quote means that artwork does not simply copy what we see in the world around us. Instead, it has a more powerful purpose; artwork...

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I am a poor man and of little worth, who is laboring in that art that God has given me in order to extend my life as long as possible.

This quote is saying that the speaker is a humble, unimportant person with limited money. They are trying to make a living with the skills...

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There should be a law that no ordinary newspaper should be allowed to write about art. The harm they do by their foolish and random writing it would be impossible to overestimate - not to the artist, but to the public, blinding them to all but harming the artist not at all.

This quote means that it would be a good law to make sure that regular newspapers cannot write about art. The reasons for this are...

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The beauty of a finely worked object points to the beauty of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the craftsmanship points to the beauty of the name which was the source of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the name of the craftsman's art points to the beauty of the craftsman's attributes manifested in that art.

This quote is trying to say that when we see something that is beautifully created, it can be a reflection of the skill of the...

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At this point in my life - age 24 - I have chosen a fairly strange path that not many are walking. I am a professional spoken word poet who tours the world performing and teaching. I run an organization called Project VOICE dedicated to using this art form as an education and empowerment tool in schools and communities of all kinds.

This quote is saying that the speaker is 24 years old and has chosen an unusual career path by becoming a professional spoken word poet....

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Once the subject matter of rock n' roll changed from cars and pop love songs to songs about really true love and the blues and death and mortality, this light bulb went off in my head and I went, 'Oh, that's what they're doing. That's kind of - that's art.'

This quote is referring to a moment when the speaker realized that rock ‘n’ roll music goes beyond basic pop love songs and is creative,...

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I am not very comfortable about dancing at weddings and New Year parties. Maybe it's because of the way I have been brought up; I wouldn't want my family to feel that cringe moment. Dance is an art for me.

This quote means that the person is not very comfortable with the idea of dancing at weddings and New Year parties. This is because of...

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Many a sin has sullied me in body and in soul because I did not restrain my thoughts nor guard my lips: nevertheless it is to Thee, O God of majesty and love, that I turn in my extremity, for Thou art the fount of mercy; to Thee, as quickly as I may, I speed: for Thou alone canst heal me; I take refuge under Thy protection.

This quote is showing the recognition of someone who has done wrong and is seeking mercy from God. It is an expression of contrition and...

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The best artists know what to leave out.

This quote means that the most skillful and creative artists understand that sometimes it is better to not include something in their work. They recognize...

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I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn't photograph them.

This quote means that the photographer believes that some things are so special or unique that they would not be seen or noticed by most...

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The arts are an even better barometer of what is happening in our world than the stock market or the debates in congress.

This quote means that art (such as music, painting, and literature) can tell us better than the stock market or debates in congress what is...

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Art ought never to be considered except in its relations with its ideal beauty.

This quote means that art should be judged not only on its physical appearance, but also on the beauty that it portrays in its meaning...

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I paint with shapes.

This quote means that instead of using brushes and paint to create a picture, someone is using shapes to create art. For example, they could...

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Time extracts various values from a painter's work. When these values are exhausted the pictures are forgotten, and the more a picture has to give, the greater it is.

This quote means that when a painter creates a piece of art it can have a lasting impact on people and can remain special for...

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My painting does not come from the easel.

This quote means that the artist’s painting is not created on an easel, which is a stand used to hold a canvas so that the...

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What I wish to show when I paint is the way I see things with my eyes and in my heart.

This quote is saying that when the person paints, they are trying to show the viewer what they see and feel. They want the viewer...

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Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression.

This quote means that when someone is trying to create something, it is difficult to get their exact vision out into the world. This is...

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Art is a step from what is obvious and well-known toward what is arcane and concealed.

This quote means that art is a process of discovering something that was previously unknown. It is an exploration away from what is typical and...

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The worst state of affairs is when science begins to concern itself with art.

In this quote, the “worst state of affairs” is when science starts to focus on art. This means that instead of doing scientific experiments, people...

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It is a mistake for a sculptor or a painter to speak or write very often about his job. It releases tension needed for his work.

This quote is saying that if a sculptor or painter talks or writes a lot about their job, it will take away their creative energy...

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The business of art is to reveal the relation between man and his environment.

This quote means that the purpose of art is to show how humans interact with their surroundings. In other words, art can be used to...

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Advertising is the greatest art form of the 20th century.

This quote essentially means that advertising, or the process of advertising a product or service to a wider audience, is the most amazing and influential...

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The artist one day falls through a hole in the brambles, and from that moment he is following the dark rapids of an underground river which may sometimes flow so near to the surface that the laughing picnic parties are heard above.

This quote is referring to a journey an artist is taking. The artist falls through a hole in some brambles, which is like a thick...

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Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art.

This quote is saying that everyone has the ability to create something unique and beautiful. Each person’s life is like a work of art and...

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To be an artist includes much; one must possess many gifts - absolute gifts - which have not been acquired by one's own effort. And, moreover, to succeed, the artist much possess the courageous soul.

This quote is suggesting that to be an artist, a person needs to have certain natural talents, which they haven’t worked for or earned. It...

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Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal.

This quote means that great artists are not afraid to take ideas from other artists, but they adapt it to make something entirely new. They...

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In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.

This quote means that an artist can never create something that surpasses the ideas or emotions that exist in his/her heart and mind. An artist’s...

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Art distills sensations and embodies it with enhanced meaning.

This quote means that art takes feelings and experiences and turns them into something special and meaningful. For example, a painting of a field of...

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Art is like a border of flowers along the course of civilization.

This quote is suggesting that art serves as a type of symbol of the progress of society. Art can be seen like a garden of...

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The highest art is always the most religious, and the greatest artist is always a devout person.

This quote means that the best art comes from devout people, who follow closely in their religious beliefs. The best and most beautiful art is...

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A painting that is well composed is half finished.

This quote means that when you are creating a painting, having a good composition (how the elements of the painting are arranged on the canvas)...

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The history of modern art is also the history of the progressive loss of art's audience. Art has increasingly become the concern of the artist and the bafflement of the public.

This quote is saying that, in modern times, fewer people are interested in art and appreciate it. The public is increasingly unable to comprehend the...

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I have nothing to hide in art. The initial force alone can bring anyone to the end he must attain.

This quote suggests that in art, you should be open and honest about your intentions and feelings. It suggests that simply by starting the creative...

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Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.

This quote is saying that many people talk about the speaker’s art, as if they need to understand it in order to appreciate it. However,...

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My philosophy is that I'm an artist. I perform an art not with a paint brush or a camera. I perform with bodily movement. Instead of exhibiting my art in a museum or a book or on canvas, I exhibit my art in front of the multitudes.

This quote means that instead of creating art with traditional materials like paint, a camera or a canvas, the person speaks of creating art with...

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The educator must believe in the potential power of his pupil, and he must employ all his art in seeking to bring his pupil to experience this power.

This quote means that a teacher must trust in their student’s capabilities and use all of their knowledge and experience in teaching to help their...

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My university degree is in art and, yes, I do a lot of drawing for all my books. I have a big drafting table set up in a spare bedroom and I cover it with maps and house plans and sketches that I use in the books. Also, I truly love architecture, so that plays a big part in all my books.

This quote from the author explains that their university degree is in art and, as a result, they use their art skills to create drawings...

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Anime is intended to have ambiguous features. That's part of the art form.

Anime is a type of art form, and part of what makes it unique is that its characters and stories often have unclear meanings or...

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And I have exposed myself to art so that my work has something beyond just the usual potter.

The phrase is suggesting that the person who spoke it has gone out of their way to learn as much as they can about art,...

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There can be nothing exclusive about substantial art. It comes directly out of the heart of the experience of life and thinking about life and living life.

This quote means that truly meaningful art is not something that is limited only to certain people or groups of people. Instead, it is something...

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Nude nail polish wins hands down over intricate nail art.

This means that people generally prefer a simple, natural look on their nails instead of creating complex nail designs. Nude nail polish, which is a...

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I love to bring humour into my work. Because comedy is not a huge part of the art world. And big-business film takes itself very seriously.

In this quote, the speaker is expressing their appreciation for being able to bring humour into their work. They make this observation because comedy is...

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I'm a big illustration and comic book fan. In my eyes, comic books and illustration are the same kind of art forms.

The quote means that the speaker is a big fan of both comic books and illustrations, and that in their opinion, these two art forms...

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We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art.

This quote means that a work of art’s value is based on how it makes the viewer feel. Sensitiveness and emotion refer to the way...

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As far as playing jazz, no other art form, other than conversation, can give the satisfaction of spontaneous interaction.

This quote is saying that, when it comes to playing jazz, it is one of the few activities that can give people the feeling of...

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If you don't get noticed, you don't have anything. You just have to be noticed, but the art is in getting noticed naturally, without screaming or without tricks.

This quote means that it is important to be noticed in order to succeed in your endeavors. However, you should strive to get noticed in...

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Madness is the absolute break with the work of art; it forms the constitutive moment of abolition, which dissolves in time the truth of the work of art.

This quote is saying that madness is the point at which creation and destruction blur into one. It is a situation when a work of...

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What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something, because of course art is about sharing. You wouldn't be an artist unless you wanted to share an experience, a thought.

This quote means that an artist creates art to share an experience and a feeling. By creating art, the artist wants to bring people closer...

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My goal is to be one with the music. I just dedicate my whole life to this art.

This quote means that the person speaking is dedicating all of their time and energy to making music. Their focus and ambition is to understand...

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Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art. They seem to be the purpose of God for his whole creation.

The quote talks about the beauty of having simplicity and clarity (being straight-forward) in our lives. It mentions that these qualities give us power and...

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I don't know if One Direction will stand the test of time. I have a niece who goes crazy for them. But the only way to judge art is to wait and see if it becomes evergreen. This takes a bit of time. Adele is a very good musician and I'd like to sing with her. But, again, time will tell if her music will become evergreen.

This quote is talking about how it can be hard to tell if something will become popular for a long period of time (“evergreen”). The...

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All I tell artists is, 'Do what you love. Never let anybody talk you into changing what your musical idea is just to try to get a hit, because you're chasing your tail that way. It's not going to happen, and if you're successful, you have to do it the rest of your life. Stay true to it and do it for the sake of the art.'

This quote is saying that artists should not change their musical style just to try and make a popular hit song. Doing this will not...

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Art and religion first; then philosophy; lastly science. That is the order of the great subjects of life, that's their order of importance.

This quote is suggesting that, of all the important topics in life, art and religion should come first, followed by philosophy, and then science. This...

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Emotion resulting from a work of art is only of value when it is not obtained by sentimental blackmail.

This quote is saying that the emotion that comes from an artwork is only meaningful and valuable if it is not simply created or manipulated...

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Errors are not in the art but in the artificers.

This quote means that mistakes and problems not caused by the art or skill, but instead by the people who are using it. People who...

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Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed.

This quote means that art cannot exist without a representation of beauty that is not hidden or covered up. In other words, art needs to...

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Religion is the masterpiece of the art of animal training, for it trains people as to how they shall think.

This quote is saying that religion is a great way to control how people think. It is similar to the way someone might teach an...

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What we have to do, what at any rate it is our duty to do, is to revive the old art of Lying.

This quote suggests that it would be good if we revived the old art of lying, which might imply that it’s something we should do...

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Every man lives in two realms: the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion. The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities by means of which we live.

This quote means that every person is part of two worlds. The first one is the internal realm, which is the world of spirituality, creativity,...

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Most museums – with all their burdens to pay for exhibitions, administration, and security &#8...

Most museums - with all their burdens to pay for exhibitions, administration, and security - really don't have any money really to acquire art, with few exceptions.

This quote is saying that most museums don’t have enough money to buy artworks to add to their collections as they need to use their...

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Only in art will the lion lie down with the lamb, and the rose grow without the thorn.

This phrase means that only in art, which is things created by humans, will the two different sides come together in harmony. The lion, which...

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It is essential to do everything possible to attract young people to opera so they can see that it is not some antiquated art form but a repository of the most glorious music and drama that man has created.

This quote means that it is important to make efforts to bring younger people to opera performances. This is so that they can understand that...

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Glory is a heavy burden, a murdering poison, and to bear it is an art. And to have that art is rare.

This quote means that it is a difficult task to achieve greatness and success. The burden that comes along with that greatness can be a...

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Fine art is knowledge made visible.

This quote means that art is a visual representation of an idea or knowledge. Art can take many forms, such as paintings, sculptures, and photographs,...

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There are so many opportunities in life, that the loss of two or three capabilities is not necessarily debilitating. A handicap can give you the opportunity to focus more on art, writing, or music.

This quote means that opportunities in life are plentiful. Even if you have physical or mental challenges that limit what you can do, you can...

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A painter, who finds no satisfaction in mere representation, however artistic, in his longing to express his inner life, cannot but envy the ease with which music, the most non-material of the arts today, achieves this end. He naturally seeks to apply the methods of music to his own art.

The painter is not satisfied with making art that looks realistic; they are looking to communicate and express their inner life. They feel envious of...

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Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. For, those, whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow. Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

This quote is saying that death should not be proud or feared, because it does not have total power over people. Death may think it...

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I don't believe in the school of hard knocks, although I've had them. All that stuff about whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger is so not true. Do you know what makes you stronger? When people treat you and your art with dignity.

This quote is saying that it is not true that difficulties in life will make you stronger; rather, it is when people treat you and...

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I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is.

This quote means that a person does not pay attention to what art critics say. They believe that people can judge art for themselves, so...

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Encouraging young people to believe in themselves and find their own voice whether it's through writing, drama or art is so important in giving young people a sense of self-worth.

This quote means that it is important to help young people gain confidence in themselves and discover their own abilities or talents. This could be...

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History repeats itself, but the special call of an art which has passed away is never reproduced. It is as utterly gone out of the world as the song of a destroyed wild bird.

This quote is saying that although similar situations have happened before and may happen again, the essence of something that is gone cannot be replicated...

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Good manners is the art of making those people easy with whom we converse. Whoever makes the fewest people uneasy is the best bred in the room.

This quote is saying that having good manners is an art. It means that one should act in a way that makes other people comfortable....

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Irresponsibility is part of the pleasure of all art; it is the part the schools cannot recognize.

This quote means that when creating art, part of the enjoyment of the process is being able to be irresponsible–to experiment and make mistakes without...

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A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.

This quote is saying that a person’s life focus is to find out, through experimentation and exploration of art, two or three things which are...

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The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.

The art of living is less about following the traditional patterns and expectations of how you should live and more about learning how to handle...

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With few exceptions, music has been for some centuries the art which has devoted itself not to the reproduction of natural phenomena, but rather to the expression of the artist's soul, in musical sound.

This quote means that, for the most part, music has not been about copying or imitating the things we see and hear in nature, like...

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What is art but a way of seeing?

This quote means that art is a way of looking at the world. It can be any form of creativity, including painting, sculpting, writing, or...

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Art is a revolt against fate. All art is a revolt against man's fate.

This quote means that creating art is a way for people to express dissatisfaction with the destiny life has laid out for them. Art can...

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Art is one thing that can go on mattering once it has stopped hurting.

This quote means that even when something has caused pain or suffering, art can still be there to help. Art is a way to appreciate...

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The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web.

This quote is saying that the artist is like a container where they can collect emotions from different sources. Some examples of these sources of...

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The artist vocation is to send light into the human heart.

This quote means that it is the job of an artist to bring joy, happiness, and a feeling of hope to people’s lives. An artist...

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Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.

This statement means that art is the way in which people express themselves in a unique and powerful manner. Art lets people show their individual...

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A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.

This phrase means that when a man creates something, the most important part of the process is what he is thinking and not what he...

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Religion and art spring from the same root and are close kin. Economics and art are strangers.

Religion and art come from the same source, and they are closely related. Economics and art have nothing to do with each other. Religion and...

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The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.

The job of the artist is to make their artwork mysterious and to get people thinking about it. They do this by exploring ideas and...

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Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.

This quote means that photography has the power to capture a single moment in time and create a record of that moment that will last...

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An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.

This quote means that artists have the freedom to decide which art they make and they should not be afraid to create something even if...

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The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure.

This quote means that the purpose of art is to bring pleasure to both the artist and the audience. The artist takes pleasure in creating...

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The moment you cheat for the sake of beauty, you know you're an artist.

This quote means that when you change something from reality to make it look more beautiful, you have the skills of an artist. It is...

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The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.

This quote means that anything made by a human, even something that looks great, is not as perfect as something created by a higher power,...

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If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.

This quote means that if something intimidates you or makes you question your abilities, push through it. If your inner voice is telling you not...

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Great art is never produced for its own sake. It is too difficult to be worth the effort.

The quote means that creating art is hard work and that it is not done without a purpose. Great art is meant to have an...

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Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

This quote means that creativity involves taking risks, making mistakes, and trying something new. Art is the ability to look at those mistakes, consider the...

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This world is but a canvas to our imagination.

This quote means that the world is like a blank canvas that we can fill with our imaginations. This can mean different things to different...

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Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.

This quote means that art is created when someone wants to express their feelings, thoughts and ideas about the world. They may make a song,...

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The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.

This quote means that the goal of art is not to show what something looks like, but to show its deeper meaning and significance. Art...

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Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.

This quote means that having vision is the ability to be able to identify or perceive something that may not be obvious or easily seen...

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Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced.

This quote means that art is not just about making something physical like a skilled craft, such as woodworking or pottery. Rather, art is about...

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The vitality of a new movement in Art must be gauged by the fury it arouses.

This quote means that you can judge how important or successful a new art movement is by how much controversy it causes. In other words,...

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There hasn't been any art yet. Art is just beginning.

This phrase means that although people have been creating art for a long time, much more art is going to come in the future. Art...

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