Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective processes, and incomprehensibly to himself, all his progress should enter so swiftly into the work that he is unable to recognise them in the moment of transition. Alas, the artist who waits in ambush there, watching, detaining them, will find them transformed like the beautiful gold in the fairy tale which cannot remain gold because some small detail was not taken care of.


Letter to his wife, reprinted in Rilke's Letters on Cézanne (1952, trans. 1985). (October 21, 1907) - Rilke's Letters

Rainer Maria Rilke Quotes

Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective...

Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective...

Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective...

Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective...