Drawing is the artist's most direct and spontaneous expression, a species of writing: it reveals, better than does painting, his true personality.
Edgar DegasRead
My art, what do you want to say about it? Do you think you can explain the merits of a picture to those who do not see them? . . . I can find the best and clearest words to explain my meaning, and I have spoken to the most intelligent people about art, and they have not understood; but among people who understand, words are not necessary, you say humph, he, ha and everything has been said.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art's essence often transcends words, revealing deeper understanding among those who appreciate it.
Edgar Degas emphasizes the intrinsic nature of art, pointing out that its true value cannot always be conveyed through language. While words may help articulate the thoughts behind a piece, true appreciation comes from a shared understanding among those who connect with the work on a deeper, often visceral level, where the non-verbal cues express what is felt more profoundly than any explanation could convey.
Themes
ArtUnderstandingCommunicationExpressionAppreciation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nuances of modern art, one might say, 'As Degas argued, sometimes a viewer's emotional response reveals more than any analysis could.'
More from Edgar Degas
All quotes →No art is less spontaneous than mine. What I do is the result of reflection and the study of the great masters.
Edgar DegasRead
Everyone has talent at twenty-five. The difficulty is to have it at fifty.
Edgar DegasRead
It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one's memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory.
Edgar DegasRead
The Dance instills in you something that sets you apart. Something heroic and remote.
Edgar DegasRead
You have to have a high conception, not of what you are doing, but of what you may do one day: without that, there's no point in working.
Edgar DegasRead
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