The most active lives have so much routine as to preclude progress almost equally with the most inactive. Ralph Waldo Emerson More Quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson More Quotes From Ralph Waldo Emerson It is not an arbitrary "decree of God," but in the nature of man, that a veil shuts down on the facts of to-morrow; for the soul will not have us read any other cipher than that of cause and effect. By this veil, which curtains events, it instructs the children of men to live in to-day. Ralph Waldo Emerson soul men children I now require this of all pictures, that they domesticate me, not that they dazzle me. Pictures must not be too picturesque. Nothing astonishes men so much as common-sense and plain dealing. All great actions have been simple, and all great pictures are. Ralph Waldo Emerson simple men art It never was in the power of any man or any community to call the arts into being. They come to serve his actual wants, never to please his fancy. Ralph Waldo Emerson creativity men art The highest praise we can attribute to any writer, painter, sculptor, builder, is, that he actually possessed the thought or feeling with which he has inspired us. Ralph Waldo Emerson feelings inspirational art Herein is the explanation of the analogies, which exist in all the arts. They are the re-appearance of one mind, working in many materials to many temporary ends. Raphael paints wisdom, Handel sings it, Phidias carves it, Shakspeare writes it, Wren builds it, Columbus sails it, Luther preaches it, Washington arms it, Watt mechanizes it. Painting was called "silent poetry," and poetry "speaking painting." The laws of each art are convertible into the laws of every other. Ralph Waldo Emerson law writing art I have heard that stiff people lose something of their awkwardness under high ceilings, and in spacious halls. I think, sculptureand painting have an effect to teach us manners, and abolish hurry. Ralph Waldo Emerson people art thinking But in every constitution some large degree of animal vigor is necessary as material foundation for the higher qualities of the art. Ralph Waldo Emerson quality animal art Great is paint; nay, God is the painter; and we rightly accuse the critic who destroys too many illusions. Society does not love its unmaskers. Ralph Waldo Emerson god doe art Virtue runs before the muse, Ralph Waldo Emerson skills running art The eye is the best of artists. Ralph Waldo Emerson eye artist art A work of art is an abstract or epitome of the world. It is the result or expression of nature, in miniature. For, although the works of nature are innumerable and all different, the result or the expression of them all is similar and single. Ralph Waldo Emerson different expression art Art, in the artist, is proportion, or, a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details. And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes. Ralph Waldo Emerson respect eye art Perpetual modernness is the measure of merit, in every work of art; since the author of it was not misled by anything short- livedor local, but abode by real and abiding traits. Ralph Waldo Emerson abiding real art There is no architect Ralph Waldo Emerson muse inspirational art In the Greek cities, it was reckoned profane, that any person should pretend a property in a work of art, which belonged to all who could behold it. Ralph Waldo Emerson greek cities art How often we must remember the art of the surgeon, which, in replacing the broken bone, contents itself with releasing the parts from false position; they fly into place by the action of the muscles. On this art of nature all our arts rely. Ralph Waldo Emerson nature broken art We know that madness belongs to love,--what power to paint a vile object in hues of heaven. Ralph Waldo Emerson power love heaven Our prayers are prophets. Ralph Waldo Emerson our-prayers prophet prayer As soon as the man is at one with God, he will not beg. He will then see prayer in all action. Ralph Waldo Emerson prayer action men Prayer that craves a particular commodity, anything less than all good, is vicious. Ralph Waldo Emerson vicious commodity prayer
