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Home
Authors
Henri Matisse
French
Artist
About the author
I have been no more than a medium, as it were.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
Exactitude is not truth.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Truth
An artist must never be a prisoner. Prisoner? An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Style
#Success
#Artist
#Reputation
I would like to recapture that freshness of vision which is characteristic of extreme youth when all the world is new to it.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#World
#Youth
#Vision
#Extreme
He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Nothing
#Flies
I have always tried to hide my efforts and wished my works to have a light joyousness of springtime which never lets anyone suspect the labors it has cost me.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Light
I don't paint things. I only paint the difference between things.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Difference
I don't know whether I believe in God or not. I think, really, I'm some sort of Buddhist. But the essential thing is to put oneself in a frame of mind which is close to that of prayer.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#God
#Mind
#Prayer
#Buddhist
I do not literally paint that table, but the emotion it produces upon me.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Emotion
Jazz is rhythm and meaning.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Jazz
#Meaning
You study, you learn, but you guard the original naivete. It has to be within you, as desire for drink is within the drunkard or love is within the lover.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Love
#Study
#Desire
Instinct must be thwarted just as one prunes the branches of a tree so that it will grow better.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Will
#Instinct
In love, the one who runs away is the winner.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Love
It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Life
Impressionism is the newspaper of the soul.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Soul
It is only after years of preparation that the young artist should touch color - not color used descriptively, that is, but as a means of personal expression.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Years
#Preparation
#Expression
#Artist
In the beginning you must subject yourself to the influence of nature. You must be able to walk firmly on the ground before you start walking on a tightrope.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Influence
#Nature
#Beginning
#Walking
My curves are not crazy.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
There are always flowers for those who want to see them.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Want
#Flowers
There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Forget
#Nothing
#First
#Roses
What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter - a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Art
#Influence
#Balance
#Mind
#Dream
#Relaxation
#Serenity
#Purity
#Fatigue
With color one obtains an energy that seems to stem from witchcraft.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Energy
#Witchcraft
Work cures everything.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Work
A young woman has young claws, well sharpened. If she has character, that is. And if she hasn't so much the worse for you.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Character
#Woman
I'm growing old, I delight in the past.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Past
#Old
#Delight
Time extracts various values from a painter's work. When these values are exhausted the pictures are forgotten, and the more a picture has to give, the greater it is.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Time
#Work
#Values
Cutting into color reminds me of the sculptor's direct carving.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
An artist must possess Nature. He must identify himself with her rhythm, by efforts that will prepare the mastery which will later enable him to express himself in his own language.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Will
#Language
#Nature
#Artist
I wouldn't mind turning into a vermilion goldfish.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Mind
A picture must possess a real power to generate light and for a long time now I've been conscious of expressing myself through light or rather in light.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Time
#Now
#Power
#Light
Creativity takes courage.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Creativity
#Courage
Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist
#Work
#Day
#Happiness
Drawing is like making an expressive gesture with the advantage of permanence.
Henri Matisse,
French
Artist