A critic in my house sees some paintings. Greatly perturbed, he asks for my drawings. My drawings? Never! They are my letters, my secrets.
Paul GauguinRead
A bit of advice, don't copy nature too closely. Art is an abstraction; as you dream amid nature, extrapolate art from it, and concentrate on what you will create as a result.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art should draw inspiration from nature but not imitate it directly. Instead, it should be an abstraction that comes from personal creativity.
In this quote, Paul Gauguin emphasizes that while nature is a source of inspiration for artists, true art should not attempt to replicate nature in a literal sense. Instead, artists should engage with the natural world to cultivate their own unique interpretations and ideas, allowing their creativity to flow as they create something original that reflects their individual vision.
Themes
ArtNatureInspirationCreativityAbstraction
In practice
Example use cases
In an art class discussing the influence of nature on creativity.
More from Paul Gauguin
All quotes →A hint - don't paint too much direct from nature. Art is an abstraction! study nature then brood on it and treasure the creation which will result, which is the only way to ascend towards God - to create like our Divine Master.
Paul GauguinRead
Life has no meaning unless one lives it with a will, at least to the limit of one's will. Virtue, good, evil are nothing but words, unless one takes them apart in order to build something with them; they do not win their true meaning until one knows how to apply them.
Paul GauguinRead
The flat sound of my wooden clogs on the cobblestones, deep, hollow and powerful, is the note I seek in my painting.
Paul GauguinRead
Art is either plagiarism or revolution.
Paul GauguinRead
Art requires philosophy, just as philosophy requires art. Otherwise, what would become of beauty?
Paul GauguinRead
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