The painter should not paint what he sees, but what will be seen.
Paul KleeRead
Everything passes, and what remains of former times, what remains of life, is the spiritual. In everything we do, the claim of the Absolute is unchanging.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of life and existence is spiritual and eternal, while everything else is temporary.
This quote by Paul Klee emphasizes the transient nature of life and the material world, suggesting that what truly endures and holds significance is our spiritual essence and the deeper truths that govern existence. Klee points out that despite the constant changes that life brings, the absolute truths of our spiritual experiences remain unchanged and are what we carry forward.
Themes
SpiritualLifeTransienceAbsoluteTruth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for a reflection on life during a meditation session.
More from Paul Klee
All quotes βTo emphasize only the beautiful seems to me to be like a mathematical system that only concerns itself with positive numbers.
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You adapt yourself to the contents of the paintbox.
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It is a great difficulty and a great necessity to have to start with the smallest.
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All art is a memory of age-old things, dark things, whose fragments live on in the artist.
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The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the here and now.
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