I'm able to get by very well in life, and also with my work, without beloved God. But I, a suffering human being, can not survive without there being something greater than myself, which for me is my whole life- the creative power... I want to paint men and women with that certain eternal touch- an idea which the sacred halo embodied earlier and which we seek to express today through light and the palpitating movement of our colors...The love between a couple is expressed by the unity of two complementary colors, by their mixture and contrasts, by the secretive vibrations of similar tones; the intelligence of a forehead is portrayed by using a light tone on a dark background; hope by a star and a man's passion by a vibrant sunset.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Van Gogh finds spiritual meaning in creativity rather than organized religion, using art to express eternal human qualities like love and hope through color and light.
- In plain terms
- He needs something greater than himself to survive, which he finds in his creative power and art.
- What can you take from it?
- Use art to express deep human emotions and spiritual ideas.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you find something greater than yourself?
- What does your creative work express?
Another view
This view personalizes spirituality so much it may not resonate with those needing traditional religious structure.
More from Vincent Van Gogh
I wish they would only take me as I am.
Permalink to quote #48 If boyhood and youth are but vanity, must it not be our ambition to become men?
Permalink to quote #50 I want to do drawings which touch people...In figure or landscape I should wish to express, not sentimental melancholy, but serious sorrow.
Permalink to quote #47
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