“The painter of genius will not waste a moment upon those smaller objects which only serve to catch the sense, to divide the attention, and to counteract his great design of speaking to the heart.” HeartMomentsAttentionDesignObjectsGeniusWastePainterDividesGreat Design Book:Discourses on Painting and the Fine Arts, Delivered at the Royal Academy Source: Discourses on Painting and the Fine Arts, Delivered at the Royal Academy
“A painter must compensate the natural deficiencies of his art. He has but one sentence to utter, but one moment to exhibit. He cannot, like the poet or historian, expatiate, and impress the mind.” MindArtMomentsNaturalPoetSentencesPainterHistorianImpressExhibitsDeficiencyOne Sentence Book:The Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds Source: The Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds
“A moment of complete happiness never occurs in the creation of a work of art. The promise of it is felt in the act of creation but disappears towards the completion of the work. For it is then the painter realises that it is only a picture he is painting. Until then he had almost dared to hope the picture might spring to life.” ArtMomentsMightFeltCreationPaintingPromiseSpringDisappearPainterWorks Of ArtRealisingDissatisfactionCompletionComplete Happiness Author:Lucian Freud
“There were moments of despondency when Shakespeare thought himself no poet, and Raphael no painter; when the greatest wits have doubted the excellence of their happiest efforts.” MomentsEffortPoetExcellenceWitPainterMelancholyDoubtedRaphaelDespondency Author:Charles Caleb Colton