Art Quotes

Beauty, expression, and the human need to create. Artists and thinkers on why art matters.

21093 quotes

I
"Beauty without purpose is merely decoration; purpose without beauty is mere function."
Isabella d'Este
I
"Beauty is the language that speaks when words fail."
Isabella d'Este
I
"To be a patron of the arts is to be a guardian of human potential."
Isabella d'Este
M
"Art is humanity's attempt to capture eternal truths in temporal forms."
Marsilio Ficino
M
"Art teaches us that form and matter can become transparent to spirit."
Marsilio Ficino
M
"Art is the memory of the soul, reminding us of truths we have forgotten."
Marsilio Ficino
"Poetry and myth contain profound truths about the human condition."
Giambattista Vico
P
"Poetry is the language through which the divine speaks to the human heart."
Poliziano Angelo
P
"Eloquence is the art of moving souls through carefully chosen words."
Poliziano Angelo
P
"The pursuit of perfection in craft is the pursuit of divinity."
Poliziano Angelo
P
"Elegant expression is the outward sign of inward clarity."
Poliziano Angelo
"Art is the mirror of the soul."
Catherine de Medici
G
"The artist and the scientist seek the same truth through different paths."
Giambattista della Porta
P
"Art transforms the mundane into the magnificent through creative vision."
Pico della Mirandola
P
"Art is the language of the human spirit."
Pico della Mirandola
"The greatest art is the art of understanding human nature."
Catherine de Medici
"The arts civilize and elevate the human condition."
Giambattista Vico
"Art is the language of the eternal within the temporal."
Giambattista Vico
I
"The greatest art lies in the mastery of human nature and diplomacy."
Isabella d'Este
I
"The arts are the true measure of a civilization's advancement."
Isabella d'Este
I
"One cannot truly appreciate beauty without first understanding its context and history."
Isabella d'Este
P
"The poet's task is to illuminate the hidden truths of existence."
Poliziano Angelo
P
"Beauty and truth are inseparable companions in great art."
Poliziano Angelo
P
"In the translation of ancient works, we participate in a sacred act."
Poliziano Angelo
G
"Art imitates nature, but nature surpasses all art."
Giambattista della Porta
G
"The true artist learns from nature before attempting to surpass it."
Giambattista della Porta
M
"Art is the vehicle through which the divine speaks to humanity."
Marsilio Ficino
M
"Art is the language through which the infinite speaks to the finite."
Marsilio Ficino
A
"Art is the mirror in which we see the face of God."
Agrippa Heinrich Cornelius
P
"Art is the instrument through which humanity expresses its highest aspirations and deepest truths."
Pico della Mirandola