Leonardo da Vinci Quotes

Art is the skin of the soul.

The purpose of art is to accumulate the human within the human being.

The good painter must paint two things: a person and the essence of his soul.

It is for the artist... in portrait painting to put on canvas something more than the face the model wears for that one day; to paint the man, in short, as well as his features.

Art is eternal for it reveals the inner landscape which is the soul of man.

The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he sees nothing within, then he should stop painting what is in front of him.

What I want any genre to do, what I want any work of art to do, is to illuminate the human condition.

If you are only moved by color relationships, you are missing the point. I am interested in expressing the big emotions - tragedy, ecstasy, doom.

The unfolding of the bare human soul...that is what interests me.

Art is good for my soul precisely because it reminds me that we have souls in the first place.

A poet is a painter of the soul.

Art is one of the sources through which the soul expresses itself and inspires others. But to express art thoroughly, one must have the inner emotions opened thoroughly.

A work of art is like a person: it has more than one soul in its breast.

Painting is a duality and abstract painting is an entirely aesthetic thing. It always remains on one level. It is only really interesting in the beauty of its patterns or its shapes.

This is where you can find your soul if you dare. Where you can touch that part of you that you've never dared look at before. Do not come here and ask me to show you how to draw a face. Ask me to help you find the wind.

You need not attempt to shake off or to banter off Romance. It is an evil you will never get rid of to the end of your days. It is a part of yourself ... of your soul. Age will only mellow it a little, and give it a holier tone.

The most interesting painting is one that expresses more of what one thinks than of what one sees

The duty of a lyrical poet is not to express or explain, it is to intensify life.

The human face does not always reflect the beauty that may repose in the soul.

All true art must help the soul to realize its inner self.

I think art parallels life; it is not a report on nature or on intimate disclosure of inner secrets. Color, in my opinion, behaves like man -- in two distinct ways: first in self-realization and then in the realization of relationships with others.

The soul of the great musician can only be expressed in music.

The role of the painter . . . is to project that which sees itself in him.

The eyes are the windows of the soul.... If someone was to look into your eyes, what would you want them to see?

The real actor - like any real artistj- has a direct line to the collective heart.