Diego Velázquez

Visual Arts Spanish 1599 – 1660 101 quotes

A leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age, he was a portrait painter to the Spanish court, celebrated for his realism and psychological depth in works like 'Las Meninas'.

Quotes by Diego Velázquez

I would rather be the first painter of common things than second of higher ones.

Attributed

Painting is nothing more than the imitation of nature, and the imitation of nature is nothing more than the imitation of God.

Attributed

The true painter is he who can paint a portrait of a man, not a portrait of a face.

Attributed

There is no art without nature, and no nature without art.

Attributed

The brush is a tool, not a master.

Attributed

One must paint with the mind as well as with the hand.

Attributed

The greatest difficulty in painting is to paint what one sees, not what one knows.

Attributed

A painter should be able to paint everything.

Attributed

The painter should be a mirror of the world.

Attributed

Light is the first of all painters.

Attributed

The most important thing in painting is to know where to stop.

Attributed

To paint well, one must see well.

Attributed

The eye is the true master.

Attributed

Color is the soul of painting.

Attributed

Drawing is the honesty of art.

Attributed

The painter's hand should be guided by his heart.

Attributed

Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.

Attributed

The artist is a creator, not an imitator.

Attributed

Every stroke of the brush should have a purpose.

Attributed

The beauty of art lies in its simplicity.

Attributed