James Whistler Professions : Artist Born : July 10, 1834 Died : July 17, 1903 Browse All Authors Top 46 quotes by James Whistler An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision. James Whistler creativity tattoo art Hang on the walls of your mind the memory of your successes. Take counsel of your strength, not your weakness. Think of the good jobs you have done. Think of the times when you rose above your average level of performance and carried out an idea or a dream or a desire for which you had deeply longed. Hang these pictures on the walls of your mind and look at them as you travel the roadway of life. James Whistler strength success inspirational People will forgive anything but beauty and talent. So I am doubly unpardonable. James Whistler forgiving talent people Nature contains the elements, in colour and form, of all pictures, as the keyboard contains the notes of all music. But the artists is born to pick, and choose, and group with science, these elements, that the result may be beautiful - as the musician gathers his notes, and forms his chords, until he brings forth from chaos glorious harmony James Whistler artist wise beautiful To say to the painter that Nature is to be taken as she is, is to say to the player that he may sit on the piano. James Whistler music taken player Industry in art is a necessity - not a virtue - and any evidence of the same, in the production, is a blemish, not a quality; a proof, not of achievement, but of absolutely insufficient work, for work alone will efface the footsteps of work. James Whistler achievement quality art For art and joy go together, with bold openness, and high head, and ready hand - fearing naught and dreading no exposure. James Whistler joy hands art If the man who paints only the tree, or flower, or other surface he sees before him were an artist, the king of artists would be the photographer. It is for the artist to do something beyond this. James Whistler flower photography kings As light fades and the shadows deepen, all petty and exacting details vanish, everything trivial disappears, and I see things as they are in great strong masses: the buttons are lost, but the sitter remains; the sitter is lost, but the shadow remains; the shadow is lost, but the picture remains. And that, night cannot efface from the painter's imagination. James Whistler light strong night An artist's career always begins tomorrow James Whistler careers writing art We look at a painting to know the painter; it's his company we are after, not his skill. James Whistler skills photography looks It takes a long time for a man to look like his portrait. James Whistler men long art Paint should not be applied thick. It should be like a breath on the surface of a pane of glass. James Whistler paint glasses should You shouldn't say it is not good. You should say, you do not like it; and then, you know, you're perfectly safe. James Whistler advice attitude life Mauve is just pink trying to be purple. James Whistler purple trying As music is the poetry of sound, so is painting the poetry of sight and the subject-matter has nothing to do with harmony of sound or of color. James Whistler color sight art I am not arguing with you - I am telling you. James Whistler arguing Frederic Leighton to James McNeill Whistler: 'My dear Whistler, you leave your pictures in such a sketchy, unfinished state. Why don't you ever finish them?' James McNeill Whistler to Frederic Leighton: 'My dear Leighton, why do you ever begin yours? James Whistler unfinished dear states I always ask at once, 'Do you drink?' and if she says 'No,' I bow politely and say I am sorry but I fear she will not suit. All good cooks drink. James Whistler cooking sorry food I maintain that two and two would continue to make four, in spite of the whine of the amateur for three, or the cry of the critic for five. James Whistler four three two Similar Authors Burton Silverman artist Bruce Nauman artist Bruce Conner artist Brom artist Britney Spears artist Brigid Berlin artist All Authors
