Drawing is the artist's most direct and spontaneous expression, a species of writing: it reveals, better than does painting, his true personality.
The frame is the reward of the artist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The act of framing a piece of art enhances its value and significance, rewarding the artist's vision.
This quote by Edgar Degas emphasizes the importance of presentation in art. The 'frame' symbolizes the recognition and appreciation that an artist receives, which can elevate their work beyond mere creation to a celebrated expression of creativity. The framing process serves not just as a physical boundary but as an essential element that gives context and value to the artwork, ultimately validating the artist's efforts and intentions.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a gallery presentation, one might say, 'As Degas stated, the frame is the reward of the artist, highlighting the effort put into both the creation and presentation of art.'
More from Edgar Degas
All quotes βNo art is less spontaneous than mine. What I do is the result of reflection and the study of the great masters.
Everyone has talent at twenty-five. The difficulty is to have it at fifty.
It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one's memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory.
The Dance instills in you something that sets you apart. Something heroic and remote.
You have to have a high conception, not of what you are doing, but of what you may do one day: without that, there's no point in working.
Similar quotes
Metaphor is not just the detection of patterns; it is the creation of patterns.
When I'm writing, I like to seal everything off and face the wall, not to look outside the window. The only way out is through the sentences.
When I was seven or eight years old, I began to read the science-fiction magazines that were brought by guests into my grandparents' boarding house in Waukegan, Illinois. Those were the years when Hugo Gernsback was publishing 'Amazing Stories,' with vivid, appallingly imaginative cover paintings that fed my hungry imagination.
The best stories come out of the truth.
I was not interested in irony; I wanted to emphasize the primacy of the idea in making art
A good composer does not imitate; he steals.