Vincent van Gogh? Sarah Harding? Anonymous? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Conforming to social norms is much easier than following a divergent, colorful, and eccentric pathway through life. This notion has been expressed as follows: Normality is a paved road; it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it. The famous Dutch painter Vincent …
Category Archives: Vincent van Gogh
I Am Always Doing What I Can’t Do Yet in Order To Learn How To Do It
Pablo Picasso? Vincent van Gogh? Fred Beerstein? Dear Quote Investigator: You have the following inspirational saying on the website: Only one who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible. The above remark reminded me of a statement that has been attributed to two very different painters: Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh: I …
Continue reading “I Am Always Doing What I Can’t Do Yet in Order To Learn How To Do It”
I Would Rather Die of Passion than of Boredom
Vincent van Gogh? Émile Zola? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The famous Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh has been credited with the following fervent statement: I would rather die of passion than of boredom. Surprisingly, this remark has also been ascribed to the prominent French novelist Émile Zola. Would you please elucidate this topic? Quote Investigator: …
Continue reading “I Would Rather Die of Passion than of Boredom”
The Great Doesn’t Happen Through Impulse Alone, and Is a Succession of Little Things That Are Brought Together
Vincent van Gogh? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Several self-help books contain a statement about achieving magnificent results via an incremental approach. The saying is attributed to the brilliant and original painter Vincent van Gogh: Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. And great things are not …
There’s Nothing More Genuinely Artistic Than to Love People
Vincent van Gogh? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Vincent van Gogh was the boldest and most innovative painter of the 19th-century in my opinion. Here are two versions of a poignant statement that has been attributed to him: There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people. There’s nothing more genuinely artistic than to love …
Continue reading “There’s Nothing More Genuinely Artistic Than to Love People”