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William Morris Hunt Quotes

Artist

William Morris Hunt was a 19th-century American painter and art educator. Known for his delicate depictions of natural landscapes and profound understanding of light and color, Hunt was born on March 31, 1824, and died on September 8, 1879.

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All Ifs Draws Firsts Light Lines Values Art Giving Impression Men Paint Painting Should Whole Artist Backgrounds Can Do Children Color Drawing

Famous William Morris Hunt Quotes

“Compare constantly, lines and angles... Hold looking-glass before your model and your drawing. Take a second's glance only, and see if the impression be the same. If it be not, ask, 'What is the difference?”

Ifs Asks Differences Lines Models Glasses Drawing Impression Compare Angle Glances

Book:William Morris Hunt on painting and drawing

Source: William Morris Hunt on painting and drawing

“Art teaches you the philosophy of life, and if you can't learn it from art, you can't learn it at all. It shows you that there is no perfection. There is light, and there is shadow. Everything is in half tint.”

Ifs Art Philosophy Shows Light Half Teach Life Philosophy Shadow Perfection

Book:W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. Millais

Source: W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. Millais

“When an artist leaves his work to amuse people, he loses his time and their respect. If people are to be amused by artists, it must be by employing them in their legitimate occupation.”

People Ifs Artist Loses Occupation Amused Employing

Author:William Morris Hunt

“It's impossible to make a picture without values. Values are the basis. If they are not, tell me what is the basis.”

Ifs Values Impossible Bases

Book:William Morris Hunt on painting and drawing

Source: William Morris Hunt on painting and drawing

“The artist is an interpreter of Nature. People learn to love Nature through pictures. To the artist, nothing is in vain; nothing beneath his notice. If he is great enough, he will exalt every subject which he treats.”

People Ifs Enough Artist Subjects Treats Vain Interpreter Nature Love

Book:William Morris Hunt on painting and drawing

Source: William Morris Hunt on painting and drawing

“I don't like persuaded sitters. I never could paint a cat if the cat had any scruples, religious, superstitious, or otherwise, about sitting.”

Ifs Religious Sitting Cat Paint Superstitious Scruples

Book:Hunt

Source: Hunt

“Most of us live for the critic, and he lives on us. He doesn't sacrifice himself. He gets so much a line for writing a criticism. If the birds should read the newspapers, they would all take to changing their notes. The parrots would exchange with the nightingales, and what a farce it would be!”

Ifs Should Writing Would Be Lines Sacrifice Bird Criticism Notes Critics Newspapers Parrots Nightingales Farce

Book:W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. Millais

Source: W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. Millais

“There's lots of fun in this world, after all. And if there isn't, there is in the next. And we're going there, sure.”

Ifs World Next Fun This World

Book:W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. Millais

Source: W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. Millais

“Don't put needless expense into painting a head! Don't try to match tints! Rose and pearly colours blend into each other so that no one can unite them if painted separately. Keep the impression of your subject as one thing!”

Ifs Trying One Thing Subjects Painting Rose Impression Colour Expenses

Book:William Morris Hunt on painting and drawing

Source: William Morris Hunt on painting and drawing

“There is force and vitality in a first sketch from life which the after-work rarely has. You want a picture to seize you as forcibly as if a man had seized you by the shoulder! It should impress you like reality!”

Ifs Men Want Should Firsts Reality Force Shoulders Impress Vitality

Book:W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. Millais

Source: W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. Millais

About the Author

Born: March 31, 1824
Died: September 8, 1879
Known for: Artist
Quotes: 33

Books & Sources

William Morris Hunt on painting and drawingRelated source material

W.M. Hunt's Talks about Art: With a Letter from J.E. MillaisRelated source material

HuntRelated source material

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