Drawing is the artist's most direct and spontaneous expression, a species of writing: it reveals, better than does painting, his true personality.
Edgar DegasRead
One must do the same subject over again ten times, a hundred times. In art nothing must resemble an accident, not even movement.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of practice and precision in art, suggesting that true artistry requires repetition and intentionality.
Edgar Degas highlights the necessity of rigor and discipline in the artistic process. He suggests that mastery in art is achieved through extensive repetition and that every element, including movement, should be the result of deliberate effort rather than chance. This reflects a deeper philosophy of art where the creator must be intentional in their work to evoke emotion and convey meaning.
Themes
ArtPracticeDisciplineIntentionalityMastery
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can serve as motivation for art students who struggle with their craft.
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.
Edgar DegasRead
Everyone has talent at twenty-five. The difficulty is to have it at fifty.
Edgar DegasRead
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.
Edgar DegasRead
The Dance instills in you something that sets you apart. Something heroic and remote.
Edgar DegasRead
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.
Edgar DegasRead
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