Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Robert Hughes

Quote by Robert Hughes

Work

The Spectacle of Skill: New and Selected Writings of Robert Hughes

This volume compiles a selection of Robert Hughes' writings, showcasing his insights into art, culture, and history. Hughes, known for his vivid prose and critical acumen, offers readers a diverse array of perspectives on various subjects. more

Author

Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes

Robert Hughes (July 28, 1938 – August 6, 2012) was an Australian-born art critic, writer, and documentary filmmaker. He served as the art critic for Time magazine from 1971 to 2001, known for his sharp, passionate, and insightful commentary. Hughes authored influential books such as 'The Shock of the New,' which explored modern art history. His work often intertwined art with social and political contexts, making him one of the most prominent art critics of the 20th century. more

You May Also Like

“But would you kindly ponder this question: What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared? After all, shadows are cast by things and people. Here is the shadow of my sword. But shadows also come from trees and living beings. Do you want to strip the earth of all trees and living things just because of your fantasy of enjoying naked light? You're stupid.”

“And what’s important to you?” I asked. Marshal thought while we maneuvered around Darth Vader, who was struggling to keep from hitting the wall with his helmet blocking his vision. “Success at work. Having fun doing it. Caring for someone and supporting their interests because you like to see them happy. Having them care about and support yours simply because they want to see you happy.”

“What's prayer? It's shooting shafts into the dark. What mark they strike, if any, who's to say? It's reaching for a hand you cannot touch. The silence is so fathomless that prayers like plummets vanish into the sea. You beg. You whimper. You load God down with empty praise. You tell him sins that he already knows full well. You seek to change his changeless will. Yet Godric prays the way he breathes, for else his heart would wither in his breast. Prayer is the wind that fills his sail. Else drift with witless tides. And sometimes, by God's grace, a prayer is heard.”

“Bowman turned his back on her and began to search the place methodically and exhaustively. When one searches any place, be it a gypsy caravan or a baronial mansion, methodically and exhaustively, one has to wreck it completely in the process.So, in a orderly and systematic fashion, Bowman set about reducing Czerda's caravan to a total ruin.”

“This pause in time, within time ... When did I first experience the exquisite sense of surrender that is only possible with another person? The peace of mind one experiences on one's own, one's certainty of self in the serenity of solitude, are nothing in comparison to the release and openness and fluency one shares with another, in close companionship.”