John Collier Quotes Famous Quotations About Art & Life

John Collier Quotes | Famous Quotations About Art & Life

John Maler Collier was a leading English artist and author. He painted in the Pre-Raphaelite style and was one of the most prominent portrait painters of his generation.

John Collier Famous Quotations:

John Collier Quotes About Art

“Economy should be studiously avoided in the setting of the palette; there is nothing more likely to give a bad style in oil painting than insufficiency of colors.” ― John Collier

“As a beginning student, an artist must, first of all, learn to represent faithfully any object that he has before him. The man who can do it is a painter; the man who cannot do it is not one.” ― John Collier

“As a beginning student, an artist must, first of all, learn to represent faithfully any object that he has before him. The man who can do it is a painter; the man who cannot do it is not one.” ― John Collier

“In painting, as in everything else, there is a fatal tendency to become accustomed to one's faults.” ― John Collier

“In painting, as in everything else, there is a fatal tendency to become accustomed to one's faults.” ― John Collier

“I think it is never worthwhile to work from models who are positively ugly. It is a dangerous thing for the artist to get used to ugliness in any form.” ― John Collier

“It matters not what kind of figure-pictures he [the artist] wishes to paint, he will never be able to draw the figure properly, whether draped or otherwise, unless he has gone through a preliminary course of study from the nude.” ― John Collier

“Even when we have done our best to hasten the drying of our picture, it will certainly not be in a fit state to work on again until a clear day has elapsed. This is one of the serious inconveniences of oil painting; but it can be easily met by having two pictures going on on alternate days, which is not a bad thing in other ways, as the change of subject gives the eye a rest.” ― John Collier

“As a general rule, one should never touch an oil painting unless it is quite wet or quite dry. Unless very exceptional effects are required, there is nothing more fatal than to work at a picture when it is sticky.” ― John Collier

“As a general rule, one should never touch an oil painting unless it is quite wet or quite dry. Unless very exceptional effects are required, there is nothing more fatal than to work at a picture when it is sticky.” ― John Collier

“If the picture be of any size, a shed should be built in which the painter can stand whilst at work. The front and one side should be open to the view and to give plenty of light - the back facing toward the prevailing wind will be sheltered enough.” ― John Collier

“With all our precautions in choosing a simple subject, and only working grey days, it will be found that anything out-of-doors is apt to change its color and tone in a very perplexing way.” ― John Collier

“The artist should struggle... to prevent his sitter from being bored. This is one of the great difficulties of portrait painting, and can in most cases be best met by encouraging the sitter to talk.” ― John Collier

“The artist should struggle... to prevent his sitter from being bored. This is one of the great difficulties of portrait painting, and can in most cases be best met by encouraging the sitter to talk.” ― John Collier

“If the sitter will not talk, the next best plan is to get someone to read to him; but amused he must be at all costs, or the portrait will inevitably reflect the patient misery of the subject.” ― John Collier

“Although a painter should never be in a hurry, yet he should always wish to do his work in the shortest possible time.” ― John Collier

“Although a painter should never be in a hurry, yet he should always wish to do his work in the shortest possible time.” ― John Collier

“There is no difficulty in painting detail, the real difficulty lies in getting the general truth of tone and tint.” ― John Collier

“It is a melancholy fact that more nonsense can be talked about art than about any other subject, and writers of treatises on painting, from the great Leonardo downwards, have not been slow to avail themselves of this privilege.” ― John Collier

Georges Seurat Quotes

 

Lady Godiva by John Maler Collier

Lady Godiva by John Maler Collier

 

John Collier Quotes About Himself

“I sometimes marvel that a third-rate writer like me has been able to palm himself off as a second-rate writer.” ― John Collier

“This morning I had not so much as carfare. Now I am here, on velvet. You are itching to learn of this haven; you would like to organize trips here, spoil it, send your relations-in-law, perhaps even come yourself. After all, this journal will hardly fall into your hands till I am dead. I’ll tell you. I am at Bracey’s Giant Emporium, as happy as a mouse in the middle of an immense cheese, and the world shall know me no more.” ― John Collier

“My eyes were trying to tell me something that my brain refused to believe. They made their point. I was looking straight into another pair of eyes, human eyes, but large, flat, luminous. I have seen such eyes among the nocturnal creatures, which creep out under the artificial blue moonlight in the zoo.” ― John Collier

“Could we make it our own, there would be eternally inexhaustible earth and a forever lasting peace.” ― John Collier

“I nipped into this sanctuary late this afternoon and soon heard the dying footfalls of closing time. From now on, my only effort will be to dodge the night watchman. Poets can dodge.” ― John Collier

“How happy I might be, if only she was less greedy, better tempered, not addicted to raking up old grudges, more affectionate, with slightly yellower hair, slimmer, and about twenty years younger! But what is the good of expecting such a woman to reform?” ― John Collier

Gustav Klimt Quotes

 

Tannhäuser in the Venusberg by John Maler Collier

Tannhäuser in the Venusberg Painting by John Maler Collier

 

John Collier Quotes About Life

“There can be no better training in the discrimination of what is healthy and beautiful in men and women than a severe course of drawings from casts of antique [Greek] statues.” ― John Collier

“Every contrivance of man, every tool, every instrument, every utensil, every article designed for use, of each and every kind, evolved from very simple beginnings.” ― John Collier

“Every contrivance of man, every tool, every instrument, every utensil, every article designed for use, of each and every kind, evolved from very simple beginnings.” ― John Collier

“The student can be his own teacher, and correct his own faults.” ― John Collier

“The student can be his own teacher, and correct his own faults.” ― John Collier

“Unfortunately, no rules can be given to guide him [the student] in [the] difficult question of harmony; he must try different combinations, and not be content until he gets something which he feels at once is beautiful.” ― John Collier

“Imagination is not antagonistic to knowledge. On the contrary, the highest imagination is that which can assimilate all kinds of knowledge and make use of it as a vantage ground from which to soar to higher things.” ― John Collier

“Imagination is not antagonistic to knowledge. On the contrary, the highest imagination is that which can assimilate all kinds of knowledge and make use of it as a vantage ground from which to soar to higher things.” ― John Collier

“There is a curious tendency in the human mind to imagine it sees a continuation of any line when it knows that the object is continuous, and this is a tendency against which the artist should be particularly on his guard.” ― John Collier

“No amount of mental prejudice can prevent the eye from passing a sound judgment on two patches of tone placed in immediate juxtaposition.” ― John Collier

“The painter who knows his business will not, with some few exceptions, waste his time in giving instruction, and the instruction to be gained from a painter who does not know his business is worse than useless.” ― John Collier

“Franklin Fletcher dreamed of luxury in the form of tiger-skins and beautiful women. He was prepared, at a pinch, to forgo the tiger-skins. Unfortunately, the beautiful women seemed equally rare and inaccessible. At his office and at his boarding-house the girls were mere mice, or cattish, or kittenish, or had insufficiently read the advertisements.” ― John Collier

“She will want to know all you do," said the old man. "All that has happened to you during the day. Every word of it. She will want to know what you are thinking about, why you smile suddenly, why you are looking sad. 'That is love!' cried Alan.” ― John Collier

Paul CĂ©zanne Quotes

 

The Land Baby by John Collier

The Land Baby Painting by John Collier

 

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