The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world. In this long vigil he often has to vary his methods of stimulation; but in this long vigil he is also himself striving against a continual tendency to sleep.
Meaning of the quote
The artist's job is to make people feel amazed and curious about the world around them. This takes a lot of effort and patience, as the artist must constantly find new ways to spark this sense of wonder in others. But the artist also struggles to stay alert and inspired themselves, fighting against the natural tendency to become bored or complacent.
More quotes from Marc Chagall
Great art picks up where nature ends.
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The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world. In this long vigil he often has to vary his methods of stimulation; but in this long vigil he is also himself striving against a continual tendency to sleep.
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Only love interests me, and I am only in contact with things that revolve around love.
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When I am finishing a picture, I hold some God-made object up to it – a rock, a flower, the branch of a tree or my hand – as a final test. If the painting stands up beside a thing man cannot make, the painting is authentic. If there’s a clash between the two, it’s bad art.
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I adore the theater and I am a painter. I think the two are made for a marriage of love. I will give all my soul to prove this once more.
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If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.
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All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites.
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The fingers must be educated, the thumb is born knowing.
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In our life there is a single color, as on an artist’s palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love.
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I work in whatever medium likes me at the moment.
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Work isn’t to make money; you work to justify life.
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