Art Quotes

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

21093 quotes

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"Art is the effort of man to express the unspoken."
Alexandre Dumas, fils
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"Art mirrors the soul of a civilization."
Alexandre Dumas, fils
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"Art is the only thing that makes life worth living."
Théophile Gautier
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"The ideal of form that we maintain is stronger than any external reality."
Théophile Gautier
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"The true artist cares nothing for the applause of the masses."
Théophile Gautier
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"In art, as in life, truth is the highest form of beauty."
Théophile Gautier
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"The artist's eye is the camera of the soul."
Théophile Gautier
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"The artist must suffer to create something great."
Théophile Gautier
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"In art, imperfection is often the highest perfection."
Théophile Gautier
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"The artist's greatest work is the creation of themselves."
Théophile Gautier
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"Art is not something to be understood, but something to be felt."
George Sand
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"Art is the bridge between the visible and invisible worlds."
Gérard de Nerval
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"Art is the mirror of society's soul."
Guy de Maupassant
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"Art creates meaning in an indifferent universe."
Guy de Maupassant
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"Art is the bridge between the real and the imaginary."
Gérard de Nerval
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"The world is a stage for the dance of illusions."
Gérard de Nerval
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"The poet's task is to illuminate the hidden beauty that ordinary eyes cannot perceive."
Victor Leconte de Lisle
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"True art requires both passion and discipline in equal measure."
Victor Leconte de Lisle
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"The greatest works are born from the deepest suffering."
Victor Leconte de Lisle
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"In the realm of art, there is no such thing as failure, only exploration."
Victor Leconte de Lisle
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"Art is the mirror held up to nature, showing us ourselves."
Alexandre Dumas, fils
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"Art is the conversation between the artist and the infinite."
Alexandre Dumas, fils
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"Passion makes the whole world a stage for the unpretentious."
Stendhal
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"Artistic genius is an accident of birth. One cannot acquire it by study."
George Sand
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"Art is not meant to decorate walls. It is war against brutality and darkness."
George Sand
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"The artist's duty is to make the invisible visible."
George Sand
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"Artistic growth is, more than anything else, a refining of the sense of truthfulness."
Théophile Gautier
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"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
Théophile Gautier
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"There are moments in life when everything ceases to be a concern and art becomes the only refuge."
Théophile Gautier
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"To be a great artist one must understand all forms of beauty and reject none of them."
Théophile Gautier