Auguste Rodin

Visual Arts French 1840 – 1917 358 quotes

Father of modern sculpture, The Thinker

Most quoted

"The artist must be a seer, a visionary, a poet, a dreamer, a philosopher, a scientist, a craftsman, a worker, a man of the world, a man of solitude, a man of action, a man of contemplation, a man of passion, a man of reason, a man of faith, a man of doubt, a man of joy, a man of sorrow, a man of life, a man of death."

— from Various writings

"The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms. Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him."

— from Art, 1911

"It is a mistake to think that the art of the Greeks depended on the beauty of the human form. What they sought was the expression of the soul, and this is to be found in the ugliness of a Silenus as well as in the beauty of a Bacchus."

— from Art, 1911

All quotes by Auguste Rodin (358)

Patience! The sculptor's work is long and difficult.

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I have been accused of being a realist. I am not. I am an idealist.

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The more an artist is true to himself, the more he is universal.

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The work of art must be a complete expression of the artist's thought.

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The artist is a man who sees more than others.

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The artist's mission is to penetrate the mystery of life.

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The artist must be a poet, a philosopher, a prophet.

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Art is a religion. Its mission is to elevate the soul.

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The artist must be a lover of truth.

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The artist must be a man of his time, but also a man of all time.

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The artist must be a visionary.

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The artist must be a rebel.

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The artist must be a dreamer.

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The artist must be a magician.

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The artist must be a god.

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The artist must be a child.

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The artist must be a madman.

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The artist must be a saint.

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The artist must be a sinner.

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The artist must be a lover.

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