Others

The young man should first learn perspective, then the proportions of objects. Next, copy work after the hand of a good master, to gain the habit of drawing parts of the body well; and then 39 to work from nature, to confirm the lessons learned.

Poetry is superior to painting in the presentation of words, and painting is superior to poetry in the presentation of facts. For this reason I judge painting to be superior to poetry.

Poetry is superior to painting in the presentation of words, and painting is superior to poetry in the presentation of facts. For this reason I judge painting to be superior to poetry.

Who would believe that so small a space could contain the images of all the universe?

Strive to preserve your health; and in this you will better succeed in proportion as you keep clear of the physicians, for their drugs are a kind of alchemy concerning which there are no fewer books than there are medicines.

Learning acquired in youth arrests the evil of old age; and if you understand that old age has wisdom for its food, you will so conduct yourself in youth that your old age will not lack for nourishment.

Feathers shall raise men even as they do birds towards heaven : That is by letters written with their quills.

Oysters open completely when the moon is full; and when the crab sees one it throws a piece of stone or seaweed into it and the oyster cannot close again so that it serves the crab for meat. Such is the fate of him who opens his mouth too much and thereby puts himself at the mercy of the listener.

You don’t get into trouble because of the things you don’t know. It is the things you don’t know you don’t know that really get you into a mess.

Music may be called the sister of painting, for she is dependent upon hearing, the sense which comes second and her harmony is composed of the union of proportional parts sounded simultaneously, rising and falling in one or more harmonic rhythms.

Music may be called the sister of painting, for she is dependent upon hearing, the sense which comes second and her harmony is composed of the union of proportional parts sounded simultaneously, rising and falling in one or more harmonic rhythms.

Art lives from constraints and dies from freedom.

Among the great things which are to be found among us, the being of nothingness is the greatest.

The greatest geniuses sometimes accomplish more when they work less.

M a k e yo u r s e l f a m a s t e r o f perspective, then acquire perfect knowledge of the proportions of men and other animals.

He who truly knows has no occasion to shout.

The five senses are the ministers of the soul.

The eye is the window of the human body through which it feels its way and enjoys the beauty of the world.

Fire is to represent truth because it destroys all sophistry and lies; and the mask is for lying and falsehood which conceal truth.

The eye, the window of the soul, is the chief means whereby the understanding can most fully and abundantly appreciate the infinite works of Nature; and the ear is second.

An artist’s studio should be a small space because small rooms discipline the mind and large ones distract it.

Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature, labor in vain.

If you find from your own experience that something is a fact and it contradicts what some authority has written down, 25 then you must abandon the authority and base your reasoning on your own findings.

The mind of a painter should be like a mirror which is filled with as many images as there are things placed before him.