An art which isn't based on feeling isn't an art at all... feeling is the principle, the beginning and the end; craft, objective, technique - all these are in the middle.
Paul CezanneRead
Painting, like any art, comprises a technique, a workmanlike handling of material, but the accuracy of a tone and the fictitious combination of effects depend entirely on the choice made by the artist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art is a blend of technique and personal choice, with the artist's decisions shaping the final work.
In this quote, Paul Cezanne emphasizes that while technical skill and material handling are essential in painting, the true essence of the art lies in the personal choices and creative decisions made by the artist. This reflects the idea that art is not just about following rules but also about individual expression and interpretation.
Themes
ArtPaintingTechniqueArtistChoiceCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on artistic expression, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of personal choice in creating meaningful art.
More from Paul Cezanne
All quotes →Taste is the best judge. It is rare. Art only addresses itself to an excessively small number of individuals.
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If I were called upon to define briefly the word Art, I should call it the reproduction of what the senses preceive in nature, seen through the veil of the soul.
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The landscape thinks itself in me and I am its consciousness.
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I lack the magnificent richness of color that animates nature.
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Similar quotes
It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.
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Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
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The laws of the colors are unutterably beautiful, just because they are not accidental.
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I think my stance and my way of life is my most important art.
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The writing gets done away from the keyboard and away from the studio in my head, in solitude. And then I come in and hopefully have something, then I wrestle with sounds and picture all day long. But the ideas usually come from a more obscure place, like a conversation with a director, a still somebody shows you, or whatever.
Hans ZimmerRead