Raphael

Renaissance painter

Early Modern influential 47 sayings

Sayings by Raphael

I paint with my mind, not with my hands.

c. 1515 — Attributed to Raphael by Giorgio Vasari in 'Lives of the Artists'
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To paint a beautiful woman, I must see many beautiful women, and then I must choose the best parts of all of them and combine them into one figure.

c. 1516 — Attributed to Raphael by Giorgio Vasari in 'Lives of the Artists'
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When one paints, one should not think of anything else.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, often quoted in art history texts.
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Art is not a profession, it is a religion.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, often quoted.
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I have never painted anything that I have not seen first in my mind.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, similar to his quote about painting with his mind.
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The artist's hand is but the instrument of his soul.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting common Renaissance artistic philosophy.
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I prefer the company of dogs to that of men.

Uncertain — This is a commonly attributed quote, but its direct source from Raphael is difficult to verify and m…
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Every painter paints himself.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting a common artistic sentiment.
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The divine is in all things.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting Renaissance Neoplatonism.
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I have no desire to make a fortune; I only desire to make a work of art.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting artistic dedication.
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To be a great artist, one must first be a great man.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting Renaissance ideals of the 'uomo universale'.
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The most important thing in art is to find the beauty in everything.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting his focus on ideal beauty.
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I am a painter, not a philosopher.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, despite the philosophical depth of his work.
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The eye is the window of the soul.

c. 1510s — A common saying, often associated with Renaissance artists like Raphael.
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True art is not a copy of the world, but a vision of it.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting his idealized approach.
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I have always striven for perfection, though I know it is unattainable.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting his dedication to ideal forms.
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The greater the artist, the greater the man.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, similar to his quote about being a great man first.
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My art is my life, and my life is my art.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting his complete dedication.
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I am a servant of God, and my art is my prayer.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting the religious context of much of his work.
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To understand art, one must understand life.

c. 1510s — Attributed to Raphael, reflecting the humanist ideals of the Renaissance.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable