“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
Pablo Picasso
ChildrenCreativity
Art Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · ART
Art Quotes
Read 200 of the best art quotes from Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Rabindranath Tagore and more on creativity and the artist's life.
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Pablo Picasso
SoulRenewal
“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.”
Pablo Picasso
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
Pablo Picasso
InspirationHard Work
“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.”
Pablo Picasso
PaintingSelf Expression
“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”
Vincent van Gogh
DreamsPainting
“If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
Vincent van Gogh
Self DoubtCourage
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
Vincent van Gogh
PatienceGreatness
“I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
Vincent van Gogh
LoveKindness
“Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.”Leonardo da Vinci
SpiritCraft
“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”Leonardo da Vinci
PaintingPoetry
“A poem is never finished, only abandoned.”
Paul Valéry
Creative ProcessPerfection
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
Michelangelo
SculptureVision
“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.”
Michelangelo
PerfectionFaith
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”Aristotle
MeaningPhilosophy
“A picture is a poem without words.”
Horace
PaintingPoetry
“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”
Simonides
PaintingPoetry
“Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.”Oscar Wilde
LifeWit
“All art is quite useless.”Oscar Wilde
WitShort Quotes
“Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced.”
Leo Tolstoy
EmotionExpression
“We have art in order not to die of the truth.”Friedrich Nietzsche
TruthPhilosophy
“Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.”Ralph Waldo Emerson
BeautyCreation
“Every artist was first an amateur.”Ralph Waldo Emerson
BeginningsPractice
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
Henry Ward Beecher
SoulSelf Expression
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
Thomas Merton
Self DiscoveryArt
Related Topics
About Art Quotes
Art is one of the oldest ways humans have of making sense of the world. From cave paintings and temple carvings to Renaissance masterpieces and modern street murals, art lets us express what words can't, see the world through someone else's eyes and find beauty in unexpected places.
This collection brings together 200 of the best art quotes from great painters, sculptors, writers and thinkers, including Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Rabindranath Tagore and Amrita Sher-Gil. Whether you're an artist, a student or simply someone who loves beautiful things, these quotes will spark your creativity. For more, explore our [Imagination Quotes](/topics/imagination-quotes) and [Design Quotes](/topics/design-quotes).
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Art quotes.
What is the most famous quote about art?
Pablo Picasso's "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up" is one of the best known. His line "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" is another favourite.
What did Vincent van Gogh say about art?
Van Gogh wrote, "I dream my painting and I paint my dream," and encouraged anyone who hears a voice saying "you cannot paint" to paint anyway, because "that voice will be silenced."
What are some Indian quotes about art?
Rabindranath Tagore called art "the response of man's creative soul to the call of the Real." Painter Amrita Sher-Gil said, "I can only paint in India," and the ancient Vishnudharmottara Purana called painting the best of all arts.
What is a good quote about creativity and mistakes?
Scott Adams said, "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." Bob Ross put it more gently: "We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents."
What are some quotes about photography?
Ansel Adams said, "You don't take a photograph, you make it." Henri Cartier-Bresson warned, "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst."
What is a short art quote?
Try "Creativity takes courage," "Make good art," "Everyone is an artist," "Make it new" or "Art is not a thing; it is a way."