Charlotte Salomon Quotes (25 quotes) | Quotes of famous people

Charlotte Salomon: 25 quotes 2 likes

Famous Charlotte Salomon Quotes

Charlotte Salomon

Quote of Charlotte Salomon, 1943; as cited on Wikipedia, English
as the Nazis intensified their search for Jews living in the South of France in 1943, she handed the 769 paintings on paper over to a trusted friend with these words

“Charlotte: 'I have some more [paintings she recently made] to show you'.
Daberlohn: Well, let's meet this evening…..
Isn't it absurd to address each other so formally? You're such a baby – here, let me hold your hand.... Real painter's hands'.
Charlotte: 'To me they're just ugly'....'You would be a wonderful subject for a portrait -'
Daberlohn (to himself) : 'Little girl, if you only knew what one has to go through to be able to paint.”

Charlotte Salomon

written text with brush, in her paintings JHM no. 4640 + 4641 + 4642 + 4643: in 'Life? or Theater..', p. 522-525
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“…two things. First that Daberlohn's eyes seemed to say: 'Death and the Maiden, that is the two of us;' and second, that she still loved him as much as ever. And if he was Death, then everything was alright, then she did not have to kill herself like her ancestors... So she was in fact the living model for his theories, and she remembered…”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 3th ending, written page in brush, related to JHM no. 4924r https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004924/part/character/theme/keyword/M004924: (556) 'Life? or Theater..', p. 821
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“And from that came:
Life or Theatre?”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's last written page in brush, related to JHM no. 4925T https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_-_4925T.jpg: 'Life? or Theater..', p. 823
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“And now something strange happened to our Charlotte. While busy painting, as she always was, she fell asleep in the midday sun. And when she awoke, the finished portrait of her once so ardently beloved Daberlohn [ = Alfred Wolfsohn ] lay before her. However, she tore the sheet into a hundred thousand shreds.... she sought for an explanation... Then her glace fell on one of her old paintings representing Death and the Maiden. And suddenly she knew…”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 4th ending, written page in brush, related to no. 4923v https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004923/part/character/theme/keyword/M004923JHM: (555) 'Life? or Theater..', p. 820
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“.. even happens that each character has to sing a different text, resulting in a chorus. The varied nature of the paintings should be attributed less to the author than to the varies nature of the characters to be portrayed. The author [= Charlotte Salomon] has tried.... to go completely out of herself to allow the characters to sing or speak in their own voices. In order to achieve this, many artistic values had to be renounced, but I hope that.... this will be forgiven.”

Charlotte Salomon

The author, St. Jean, August 1940/42
Charlotte's 6th introduction page, related to image no. 4155-6 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004155-fJHM: '..even happens that each character..', p. 46
this quote is written in brush over the whole page of the painting, without any figure
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Charlotte Salomon Quotes about life

“.. And with dream awakened eyes she saw all the beauty around her, saw the sea, felt the sun, and knew she had to vanish for a while from the human surface and make every sacrifice in order to create her world anew out of the depths.
And from that came
Life or Theater???”

Charlotte Salomon

original German language, Zitat von Charlotte Salomon: ..und sie sah – mit wachgeträumten Augen all die Schönheit um sich her – sah das Meer spürte die Sonne und wusste: sie musste für eine Zeit von der menschlichen Oberfläche verschwinden und dafür alle Opfer bringen – um sich aus der Tiefe ihre Welt neu zu schaffen
Und dabei entstand<brdas Leben oder das Theater???
Quote, probably 1943, in Charlotte Salomon: Life? or Theatre?, (ed.) Judith C. E. Belinfante et al, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1998, ISBN 0-900946-66-0, p. 38; as cited om Wikipedia
these are the concluding words of the last overlay: JHM 4924-02 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004924/part/character/theme/keyword/M004924, of the epilogue - quoting ideas of her former love in Germany Alfred Wolfsohn, she called him 'Amadeus Daberlohn' in her paintings

“That which van Gogh attained later in life.... a brushstroke of unprecedented lightness, which unfortunately seems to have a distinctly pathological side, I have attained already..”

Charlotte Salomon

Quote, 1942-43; as cited by Judith C. E. Belinfante; as cited in note on Wikicommons: Charlotte Salomon https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4351.jpg JHM 4351 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Charlotte_Salomon#/media/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4351.jpg
Judith Belinfante noted that Salomon scribbled this comment in pencil (at JHM 4918?)

“My life began when my grandmother decided to take hers, when I found out that my mother's whole family did the same thing [told bij het grandfather c. 1941], when I found out that I am the only one surviving, and when I felt the same inclination deep inside of me, craving for despair and death.”

Charlotte Salomon

Quote in Charlotte's letter, to her father, c. 1941-43; as cited in 'Life in Pictures Charlotte Salomon and her art beyond life tragedies' https://arthive.com/publications/2850~Life_in_Pictures_Charlotte_Salomon_and_her_art_beyond_life_tragedies, on Art-smart
Charlotte wrote her father from South-France, about the events with her grandparents where she stayed. Then she took up her brush with the intention to realize an ambitious plan of creating an autobiographical novel in pictures.

“Life or Theatre?”

Charlotte Salomon

written text with brush, in her last painting JHM no. 4925 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4925.jpg: (558) 'Life? or Theater..', p. 824
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“Life? or Theater?' - A Play with Music - C. S.”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 1st introduction page, related to image JHM no. 4155-1 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4155.jpg: 'Life? or Theater..', p. 41
written in brush - her title is indicating the close relation for her between drama, music, text and painting
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Charlotte Salomon Quotes about painting

“The creation of the following paintings is to be imagined as follows: A person is sitting beside the sea. She is painting. A tune suddenly enters her mind. As she starts to hum it, she notices that the tune exactly matches what she is trying to commit to paper. A texts forms in her head, and she starts to sing the tune, with her own words, over and over again in a loud voice until the painting seems complete. Frequently, several texts take shape, and the result is a duet, or it..”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 5th introduction page, related to image JHM no. 4155-5 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004155-e: 'The creation of the following..', p. 45
this quote is written in brush over the whole page of the painting, without any figure
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“.. Since I myself needed a year to discover the significance of this strange work, many of the texts and tunes, particularly in the first paintings, elude my memory and must - like the creation as a whole so it seems to me - remain shrouded in darkness.”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 4th introduction page, related to image JHM no. 4155-4 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004155-d: 'What is man, that thou art mindful..', p. 44
the quote is written in brush, combined with one rough painted figure
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“Daberlohn's diagnosis [about the etching she made as his portrait] holds encouragement for Charlotte…. Daberlohn (in his letter) 'In my opinion you are destined to create something above average.'
….'Above average.' She is elated by his letter and really feels quite proud… While beginning to paint the buttercup-strewn meadow where she happens to be sitting, she decides to make his prophecy come true and actually create something 'above average'.”

Charlotte Salomon

written text with brush, in her paintings JHM no. 4599 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004599/part/character/theme/keyword/M004599 + 4600 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004600/part/character/theme/keyword/M004600: in 'Life? or Theater..', p. 482-483
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Charlotte Salomon Quotes

“.. Thus in the presence of the scorching sun, purple sea, and luxuriant blossoms, the memory of an experience of her fervid early love [Daberlohn = Alfred Wolfsohn ] came back to her. And she tried to visualize that face, that figure. And Io, she succeeded, and she noticed that this was a very interesting occupation. For she discovered that that figure…”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 6th ending, written page in brush, related to JHM no. 4922v https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004922/part/character/theme/keyword/M004922: (553) 'Life? or Theater..', p. 818
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Love , Memory , Sun , Sea

“The tri-coloured play with music begins' (in Deutsch: Das Drei Farben Singespiel beginnt..)
the cast is as follows
Dr. and MRS. Knarre, a married couple
Franziska and Charlotte, their daughters
Dr. Kahn, a physician
Charlotte Kahn, his daughter
Paulinka Bimbam, a singer
Dr. Singsong, a versatile person
Professor Klingklang, a famous conductor
An Art teacher
Professor and Students at an art academy
and Chorus..
.. The action takes places during the years 1913 to 1940 in Germany, later in Nice, France”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 3rd introduction page, related to image JHM no. 4155-3 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004155-c/part/character/theme/keyword: 'The tri-coloured play with music begins..', p. 43
the quote is written in brush, over the whole page of the painting, with a rough painted gate above
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Art , Music , Teachers , Personality

“…his book, Orpheus, or the Way to a Death Mask, of which he had said that he regretted not having written it as a poem.
And with dream-awakened eyes she saw all the beauty around her, saw the sea, felt the sun, and knew: she had to vanish for a while from the human plane and make every sacrifice in order to create her world anew out of the depths.”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 2th ending, written page in brush, related to JHM no. 4924v https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4924-02.jpg: 'Life? or Theater..', p. 822
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Death , Books , World , Beauty

“…might possibly preserve her from suicide inasmuch as she remembered one of Amadeus's favorite utterances: Love, know thyself first in order to love thy neighbour. And then: one has to go into oneself - into one's childhood - to be able to go out of oneself. And he felt that the movie was the machine of modern man as a means of going out of oneself. And finally she recalled the famous couple embracing under a bathrobe, functioning as one person.”

Charlotte Salomon

Charlotte's 5th ending, written page in brush, related to no. 4923r https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004923/part/character/theme/keyword/M004923JHM: (554) 'Life? or Theater..', p. 819
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Love , Suicide , Childhood , Personality

“I became my mother, my grandmother. I learned to travel all their paths and became all of them... I knew I had a mission, and no power on earth could stop me.”

Charlotte Salomon

Quote, 1941-43; as cited in 'The obsessive art and great confession of Charlotte Salomon' https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-obsessive-art-and-great-confession-of-charlotte-salomon by Toni Bentley, in 'The New Yorker', 15 July, 2017
Charlotte wrote of the dead women in her family: her mother and grandmother; both committed suicide

Travel , Learning

“Consisting of a 'Prelude', a 'Main Section', and an 'Epilogue'.”

Charlotte Salomon

Dedicated to Ottillie Moore
Charlotte's 2nd introduction page, related to image JHM no. 4155-2 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004155-b/part/character/theme/keyword: 'Consisting of..', p. 42
written in brush - she presents here the rough division of the complete series of her paintings, divided in three parts
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“Daberlohn: 'One must first go into oneself to be able to go out of oneself. One means of going out of oneself is, for me, the movie, man's machine for producing himself.”

Charlotte Salomon

written text with brush, in her painting JHM no. 4693 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004693/part/character/theme/keyword/M004693 + 4694 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004694/part/character/theme/keyword/M004694: in 'Life? or Theater..', p. 575
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“Daberlohn writes: 'The creation of Adam is God's final act which He hurls from His heights into the depths. It is not the same God Who creates eve. This is the tragedy of the king who must hand over his dominion to his son…”

Charlotte Salomon

written text with brush, in her painting JHM no. 4687 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004687/part/character/theme/keyword/M004687: in 'Life? or Theater..', p. 569
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

God

“The following pictures are those which to the author seem the strangest. Without doubt they have their origin in Michelangelo Rome series of the main section that was sung with the loudest and most penetrating voice of this entire opus.”

Charlotte Salomon

'Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo'
written text with brush in her painting: 'Only by touching can greatness be achieved' in image JHM no. 4685 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004685/part/character/theme/keyword/M004685: in 'Life? or Theater..', p. 567
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“Franziska (mother of Charlotte): 'In Heaven everything is much more beautiful than here in earth – and when your Mummy has turned into a little angel she'll.... bring a letter, telling her what's like in Heaven..”

Charlotte Salomon

Franziska was of somewhat sentimental disposition.
written text with brush, in her painting JHM no. 4175 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Charlotte_Salomon#/media/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4175.jpg: in 'Life? or Theater..', p. 66
her mother committed suicide when Charlotte was still a young girl - as many in her family did, before or later
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Beauty , Angels

“Fashion drawing teacher: 'Yes, drawing is a difficult art. One has to have some talent for it - and unfortunately you haven't.
Charlotte: 'No, I refuse to stay here with this stupid old cow, where through the dirty window even the sun's bright ray can only dimly play... Only he who dares can win. Only he who dares can begin.”

Charlotte Salomon

written text with brush, in her paintings JHM no. 4334 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004334/part/character/theme/keyword + 4335 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004335: in 'Life? or Theater..', p. 222-223
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

Stupidity , Art , Fashion , Teachers