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.
Paul GauguinRead
A critic in my house sees some paintings. Greatly perturbed, he asks for my drawings. My drawings? Never! They are my letters, my secrets.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Gauguin expresses the personal nature of his drawings, viewing them as intimate secrets rather than mere artworks.
In this quote, Paul Gauguin illustrates the deep emotional connection he has with his drawings, which he considers to be personal letters or secrets rather than public art. This highlights the distinction between the artist's private expression and public perception, emphasizing that true art often carries personal significance that is not meant for the eyes of critics or the outside world.
Themes
ArtSecretsPersonalExpressionCriticism
In practice
Example use cases
An artist sharing his perspective on the personal nature of their work during an art exhibit.
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
Similar quotes
If we could but paint with the hand what we see with the eye.
Honore De BalzacRead
I think the most interesting question is, why do you act? I act because I have felt in acting some of the most free moments of my life...I think it's also one thing that scares me the most.
Hugh JackmanRead
The real payoff is the writing itself, that a day when you have gotten your work done is a good day, that total dedication is the point.
Anne LamottRead
Am I nostalgic for film? … I mean, it’s had a good run, hasn’t it? You know, I’m not nostalgic for a technology. I’m nostalgic for the kind of films that used to be made that aren’t being made now.
Roger DeakinsRead
The best thing about acting is that I get to lose myself in another character and actually get paid for it. As for myself, I'm not really sure who I am. I change every day.
Leonardo DicaprioRead
I, too, am interested in identity and Islam, which is what people expect of us. But one must not write what is expected. It's important for North African writers to show they have other things to say.
Leila SlimaniRead