My whole life has been nothing more than a continuous struggle against Reaction and the death of art.
Pablo PicassoRead
Matisse makes a drawing, then he makes a copy of it. He copies it five times, ten times, always clarifying the line. He’s convinced that the last, the most stripped down, is the best, the purest, the definitive one; and in fact, most of the time, it was the first. In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the value of initial creativity over repeated alterations.
Pablo Picasso highlights the artistic process as one where the initial attempt often encapsulates the purest form of expression. He discusses how Matisse's method of refining his drawings through multiple copies often leads back to the strength of the original work, suggesting that sometimes the first instinct or creation holds the most authenticity and clarity.
Themes
ArtCreativityOriginalityDrawingExpression
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an art class to inspire students to trust their initial sketches.
More from Pablo Picasso
All quotes →Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.
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In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt.
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He can who thinks he can, and he can't who thinks he can't. This is an inexorable, indisputable law.
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You have to have an idea of what you are going to do, but it should be a vague idea.
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I paint the way someone bites his fingernails; for me, painting is a bad habit because I don't know nor can I do anything else.
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