Pierre-Auguste Renoir Quotes

Art is about emotion; if art needs to be explained it is no longer art.

The pain passes, but the beauty remains.

To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty, yes pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them.

One must from time to time attempt things that are beyond one's capacity.

I would never have taken up painting if women did not have breasts.

Why shouldn’t art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world.

One morning, one of us ran out of the black, it was the birth of Impressionism.

Regularity, order, desire for perfection destroy art. Irregularity is the basis of all art.

There are some things in painting which cannot be explained, and that something is essential.

Nothing costs so little, goes so far, and accomplishes so much as a single act of merciful service.

Work lovingly done is the secret of all order and all happiness.

The work of art must seize upon you, wrap you up in itself, carry you away. It is the means by which the artist conveys his passion; it is the current which he puts forth which sweeps you along in his passion.

When I've painted a woman's bottom so that I want to touch it, then [the painting] is finished.

I like a painting which makes me want to stroll in it.

Photography freed painting from a lot of tiresome chores, starting with family portraits.

There are two indices of genuine art: it is inimitable and it is ineffable.

White does not exist in nature.

The advantage of growing old is that you become aware of your mistakes more quickly.

Everybody has their reasons.

There are quite enough unpleasant things in life without the need to manufacture more.

The only reward one should offer an artist is to buy his work.

An artist must eat sparingly and give up a normal way of life.

Shall I tell you what I think are the two qualities of a work of art? First, it must be indescribable, and second, it must be inimitable.

Be a good craftsman; it won't stop you from being a genius.

It is after you have lost your teeth that you can afford to buy steaks.