There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. If one could but recall his vision by some sort of sign. It was in this hope that the arts were invented. Sign-posts on the way to what may be. Sign-posts toward greater knowledge.
American Artist and Educator Robert Henri in his collection of lectures and thoughts: The Art Spirit.
@karigee is asking for favorite books to stock up her cache. I was reminded of this one and pulled it up on Google Books -- and was startled and reassured to be reminded of why I love it so much.
(I wrote briefly of how I came by it here »)
1 comment:
In my library there is a special shelf reserved for books that are current in my thinking and are in some way specially relevant.
Since you pressed a copy of The Art Spirit into my hands in 1994 as I was leaving to study painting (appropriately enough) that book has never left that shelf. Better advice I could not have found anywhere, and I'm deeply grateful for it.
Especially this, which you have posted on before:
"Let him realize the truth of this, and no school will be a danger to him. … The man who goes into a school to educate himself and not to be educated will get somewhere. He should start out a master, master of such that he has, however little that may be. By being master of such as he has in the beginning it is likely he may later be master, after years of study, of much."
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