An artist who brings to his work a mind tolerably furnished with the general principles of art, and a taste formed upon the works of good artists in short, who knows in what excellence consists - will, with the assistance of models... be an overmatch for the greatest painter that ever lived who should be debarred such advantages.

Joshua Reynolds

There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking.

Joshua Reynolds

freedom success inspirational

The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

Joshua Reynolds

real character men

Few have been taught to any purpose who have not been their own teachers.

Joshua Reynolds

purpose education teacher

The great end of all arts is to make an impression on the imagination and the feeling. The imitation of nature frequently does this. Sometimes it fails and something else succeeds.

Joshua Reynolds

imagination feelings art

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts.

Joshua Reynolds

life rooms art

Taste depends upon those finer emotions which make the organization of the soul.

Joshua Reynolds

organization taste soul

Could we teach taste or genius by rules, they would be no longer taste and genius.

Joshua Reynolds

genius taste would-be

Invention strictly speaking, is little more than a new combination of those images which have been previously gathered and deposited in the memory; nothing can come from nothing.

Joshua Reynolds

innovation creativity memories

What is a well-chosen collection of pictures, but walls hung round with thoughts?

Joshua Reynolds

chosen wells wall

A mere copier of nature can never produce anything great.

Joshua Reynolds

copiers originality produce

Words should be employed as the means, not the end; language is the instrument, conviction is the work.

Joshua Reynolds

conviction language mean

Nothing can come of nothing; he who has laid up no materials can produce no combinations.

Joshua Reynolds

produce deeds made

The young mind is pliable and imitates, but in more advanced states grows rigid and must be warmed and softened before it will receive a deep impression.

Joshua Reynolds

persuasion states mind

In portraits, the grace and, we may add, the likeness consists more in taking the general air than in observing the exact similitude of every feature.

Joshua Reynolds

portraits grace air

The distinct blue, red, and yellow colors... though they have not the kind of harmony which is produced by a variety of broken and transparent colors, have the effect of grandeur.

Joshua Reynolds

color blue yellow

But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their natural sloth tempting them on the other. They are terrified at the prospect before them, of the toil required to attain exactness. The impetuosity of youth is disgusted at the slow approaches of a regular siege, and desires, from mere impatience of labour, to take the citadel by storm. They wish to find some shorter path to excellence, and hope to obtain the reward of eminence by other means, than those which the indispensable rules of art have prescribed.

Joshua Reynolds

ambition mean art

It is to Titian we must turn our eyes to find excellence with regard to color, and light and shade, in the highest degree. He was both the first and the greatest master of this art. By a few strokes he knew how to mark the general image and character of whatever object he attempted.

Joshua Reynolds

eye character art

The first degree of proficiency is, in painting, what grammar is in literature, a general preparation for whatever the student may afterward choose for more particular application. The power of drawing, modeling, and using colors, is very properly called the language of the art.

Joshua Reynolds

drawing color art

All the gestures of children are graceful; the reign of distortion and unnatural attitudes commences with the introduction of the dancing master.

Joshua Reynolds

dance attitude children

Genius is supposed to be a power of producing excellences which are put of the reach of the rules of art: a power which no precepts can teach, and which no industry can acquire.

Joshua Reynolds

teaching science art