It is the soul that sees; the outward eyes John Constable More Quotes by John Constable More Quotes From John Constable The first impression and a natural one is, that the fine arts have risen or declined in proportion as patronage has been given to them or withdrawn, but it will be found that there has often been more money lavished on them in their worst periods than in their best, and that the highest honours have frequently been bestowed on artists whose names are scarcely now known. John Constable first-impressionnamesart There has never been a boy painter, nor can there be. The art requires a long apprenticeship, being mechanical, as well as intellectual. John Constable boyslongart Painting is with me but another word for feeling. John Constable paintingemotionfeelings It is always my endeavour however in making a picture that it should be without a companion in the world. At least such should be a painters ambition. John Constable endeavourambitionworld The climax of absurdity to which art may be carried when led away from nature by fashion, may be best seen in the works of Boucher. John Constable fashionmayart We must bear in recollection that the sentiment of the picture is that of solemnity, not gaiety & nothing garish, but the contrary - yet it must be bright, clear, alive fresh, and all the front seen. John Constable solemnityalivebears Verse is a mechanism by which we can create interpretative illusions suggesting profoundities of response and understanding which far exceed the engagement or research of the writer. John Constable understandingpoetryart No man who can do any one thing well will be able to any different thing equally well. John Constable abledifferentmen I do not consider myself at work unless I am before a six-foot canvas. John Constable canvassixfeet A gentleman's park is my aversion. It is not beauty because it is not nature. John Constable aversionparksgentleman I have added some ploughmen to the landscape form the park pales which is a great help, but I must try and warm the picture a little more if I can... but I look to do a great deal better in future. I am determined to finish a small picture in the spot for every one I intend to make in future. But this I have always talked about but never yet done - I think however my mind is more settled and determined than ever on this point. John Constable mindtryingthinking I paint by all the daylight we have and that is little enough, less perhaps than you have by much... imagine to yourself how a purl must look through a burnt glass. John Constable daylightglasseslooks Connoisseurs think the art is already done. John Constable doneartthinking I am anxious that the world should be inclined to look to painters for information about painting. John Constable informationlooksworld When we speak of the perfection of art, we must recollect what the materials are with which a painter contends with nature. For the light of the sun he has but patent yellow and white lead - for the darkest shade, umber or soot. John Constable lightyellowart I never saw an ugly thing in my life. John Constable uglyshadeugly-things It is much to my advantage that several of my pictures should be seen together, as it displays to advantage their varieties of conception and also of execution, and what they gain by the mellowing hand of time which should never be forced or anticipated. Thus my pictures when first coming forth have a comparative harshness which at the time acts to my disadvantage. John Constable gainstogetherhands The world is rid of Lord Byron, but the deadly slime of his touch still remains. John Constable slimelordworld A sketch will not serve more than one state of mind & will not serve to drink at again & again — in a sketch there is nothing but the one state of mind — that which you were in at the time. John Constable drinkstatesmind My art flatters nobody by imitation, it courts nobody by smoothness, nobody by petitelieness without either fal-de-lal or fiddle-de-dee; how then can I hope to be popular? John Constable imitationcourtart
