“Be something, be yourself; if not, ]then] throw your palette in the fire. Form a school if you wish, but it must come from the inside of you, but you yourself may not belong to any school. (translation from the Dutch original: Fons Heijnsbroek)”

version in original Dutch / citaat van Paul Gabriël, in Nederlands: Wees wat, weest U zelve, zoo niet gooi uw palet in ’t vuur. Vormt een school zoo ge wilt, maar het moet uit U komen, maar gij zelve mag tot geen school behooren.
In a letter of Gabriël, Brussel (14 Oct. 1879), to his student then Willem Bastiaan Tholen; in Gabriël, P.J.C, ed. Jeltes, H.F.W.; Gebroeders Binger, Amsterdam 1926; as cited in an excerpt of RKD Archive, The Hague https://rkd.nl/explore/excerpts/136
1860's + 1870's

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Paul Gabriël photo
Paul Gabriël 12
painter (1828-1903) 1828–1903

Related quotes

Paul Gabriël photo

“Be something, be yourself; if not, ]then] throw your palette in the fire. Form a school if you wish, but it must come from the inside of you, but you yourself may not belong to any school.”

Paul Gabriël (1828–1903) painter (1828-1903)

translation from the Dutch original: Fons Heijnsbroek
version in original Dutch / citaat van Paul Gabriël, in Nederlands: Wees wat, weest U zelve, zoo niet gooi uw palet in ’t vuur. Vormt een school zoo ge wilt, maar het moet uit U komen, maar gij zelve mag tot geen school behooren.
In a letter of Gabriël, Brussel (14 Oct. 1879), to his student then Willem Bastiaan Tholen; in Gabriël, P.J.C, ed. Jeltes, H.F.W.; Gebroeders Binger, Amsterdam 1926; as cited in an excerpt of RKD Archive, The Hague https://rkd.nl/explore/excerpts/136
1860's + 1870's

Anton Mauve photo

“You go outside, light your pipe, whistle a tune and just paint what you come across. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)”

Anton Mauve (1838–1888) Dutch painter (1838–1888)

(version in original Dutch / origineel citaat van Anton Mauve, in het Nederlands:) Je gaat naar buiten, steekt je pijpje op, fluit een deuntje en schildert wat je tegenkomt.
Mauve's advice to his students; as cited by H.L. Berckenhoff, in Anton Mauve, Etsen van Ph. Zilcken, met fascimiles naar schilderijen, teekeningen en studies, Amsterdam 1890, (microfiche RKD-Archive Den Haag: Berckenhoff, 1890, p. 20)
Mauve's way of painting was in fact the opposite of his advice: often changing and much struggle
undated quotes

Jozef Israëls photo

“Too literary. (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)”

Jozef Israëls (1824–1911) Dutch painter

version in Dutch (citaat van Jozef Israëls, in het Nederlands): Te literair.
short note in Israëls' Journal, 12 Dec. 1903, (in Jan Veth 1903, nr. 6); as cited in Jozef Israëls, 1824 – 1911, ed. Dieuwertje Dekkers; Waanders, Zwolle 1999, p. 199
Israëls was citing here Sientje Mesdag-van Houten who was characterizing his work that day; several of Israëls' paintings were present in the collection of Mr and Mrs Mesdag
Quotes of Jozef Israels, after 1900

Jozef Israëls photo

“You should write about me, just like you did about Degas (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)”

Jozef Israëls (1824–1911) Dutch painter

version in original Dutch (citaat van de tekst van Jozef Israëls, in het Nederlands): Net zoals over
Remark of Israëls in a talk with the German painter Max Liebermann, c. 1899-1900, drinking coffee together in Scheveningen; as cited and translated by J. Sillevis and others, in exhibition catalog 'Lieberman en Holland, Haags Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag 1980, pp. 15-16
Quotes of Jozef Israels, 1871 - 1900

Paul Gabriël photo

“An early morning may look superficially gray, but it is not…. the dew is much more colorful than one would believe, often so strongly that the palette fails. (translation from the Dutch original: Fons Heijnsbroek)”

Paul Gabriël (1828–1903) painter (1828-1903)

version in original Dutch / citaat van Paul Gabriël, in Nederlands: Een vroege morgen kan er oppervlakkig grijs uitzien, maar ze is het niet.. ..de dauw is veel gekleurder dan men wel zou geloven, dikwijls zo sterk dat het palet te kort schiet.
Quote of Paul Gabriël, in a letter to a befriended art-critic; as cited in 'Dauw heeft meer kleur dan men denkt', by Truus Ruiter https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/dauw-heeft-meer-kleur-dan-men-denkt~b14d3e3c/; newspaper 'de Volkskrant', 27 July 1998
Gabriël avoided to use frequently grey in his work, because he loved natural colors
undated quotes

Gerrit Benner photo

“When you paint outdoors, you work from your feet up to above your head. (translation from Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)”

Gerrit Benner (1897–1981) Dutch painter

version in original Dutch (citaat van Gerrit Benner, in het Nederlands:) Als je buiten werkt, dan werk je vanaf je voeten tot boven je hoofd.
Quote of Gerrit Benner, c. 1950-1955, in a talk with nl:Willem den Ouden; as cited in the thesis by Leo Delfgauw, University of Groningen, 2017, p 221 https://www.rug.nl/research/portal/files/48348912/Complete_thesis.pdf
1950 - 1980

Matthijs Maris photo

“Thijs, Thijs, you came to a people [of Paris], when they were doing well, now you must help them, when they are in distress. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)”

Matthijs Maris (1839–1917) Dutch painter

version in original Dutch / citaat van J. H. Weissenbruch, in het Nederlands: Thijs, Thijs, je bent bij een volk gekomen [in Parijs], toen het hun goed ging, nou mot je ze ook helpen nou ze in nood zitten.
Quote of Matthijs in his letter to Fidolin Becker, from Paris 1870-71; as cited by Haverkorn v. R. in Onze Kunst, 1918 - 2. p. 122 and beyond
Thijs registered with the National Guard, to defend the Paris' people against the Germans. Later Thijs told however he never loaded his rifle, he was only guarding. Later he got a lot of sympathy for pacifism.

George Hendrik Breitner photo

“Dam Square is the center of movement in our city [Amsterdam]. (translation from the original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek)”

George Hendrik Breitner (1857–1923) Dutch painter and photographer

version in original Dutch (citaat van Breitner's brief, in het Nederlands:) De Dam is het middenpunt van beweging in onzen stad [Amsterdam].
Quote of Breitner, after 1886; as cited in 'The Hofland Collection, from Jongkind to Mondriaan', Christies Sale Cat. https://www.christies.com/PDF/catalog/2014/AMS3060_SaleCat.pdf, p. 102
undated quotes

Anton Mauve photo

“Heavenly wonderfully beautiful that Wolfhezerland with its stream and pines.. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)”

Anton Mauve (1838–1888) Dutch painter (1838–1888)

(version in original Dutch / origineel citaat van Anton Mauve, in het Nederlands:) Goddelijk heerlijk schoon dat met zijne beekje en dennen..
In a letter to Willem Maris, 1863; as cited in: 'Zó Hollands - Het Hollandse landschap in de Nederlandse kunst sinds 1850', Antoon Erftemeijer https://www.franshalsmuseum.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/zohollands_eindversie_def_1.pdf; Frans Hals museum | De Hallen, Haarlem 2011, p. 31
1860's
Variant: All my canvases I paint after sketches. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)

George Hendrik Breitner photo

“Hartenstraat - the air is strong light - houses, illuminated from the top, left - flags translucent (translation from the original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek)”

George Hendrik Breitner (1857–1923) Dutch painter and photographer

version in original Dutch / werk-notities van Breitner, in het Nederlands:
Hartenstraat - 1 uur 's middags - de vlaggen werpen schaduw op de huizen
Hartenstraat - de lucht is sterk licht - huizen, links van boven verlicht - vlaggen doorschijnend
two working-notes, (1890-1895) from his sketch-books; as cited in George Hendrik Breitner in Amsterdam, J. F. Heijbroek, Erik Schmitz; uitgeverij THOTH, Bussum, 2014, p. 38
1890 - 1900

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