Quotes About Imitation

Art, as far as it is able, follows nature, as a pupil imitates his master; thus your art must be, as it were, God's grandchild.

Out in the sun, some painters are lined up. The first is copying nature, the second is copying the first, the third is copying the second... You see the sequence.

Art is not merely an imitation of the reality of nature, but in truth a metaphysical supplement to the reality of nature, placed alongside thereof for its conquest.

Man is simply playing by nature's rules,and art is man's attempt to imitate the beauty of the Creator's hand

Art not only imitates nature, but also completes its deficiencies.

Who would dare assign to art the sterile function of imitating nature?

In part, art completes what nature cannot elaborate; and in part it imitates nature.

Why should I copy this owl, this sea urchin? Why should I try to imitate nature? I might just as well try to trace a perfect circle.

English, as a subject, never really got over its upstart nature. It tries to bulk itself up with hopeless jargon and specious complexity, tries to imitate subjects it can never be.

Reality is obtained not by imitation, but by producing the sense of nature.

The mere imitation, however accurate, of what is in Nature, entitles no man to the sacred name of Artist

Nature constantly imitates art.

I have thought some of Nature's journeymen had made men and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably.

Everything in art is but a copy of nature.

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.

Whatever the parents are doing, the kids will follow suit.

In scorn of nature, art gave lifeless life.

Nature in no case cometh short of art, for the arts are copiers of natural forms.

Only those exceptional at mimicking others feel at ease in the world.

Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal.

A perfect poem is impossible. Once it had been written, the world would end. Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal.

The way to become a poet is to read poetry and to imitate what you read and to read passionately and widely and in as involved a way as you can.

If you can't imitate him, don't copy him.

The great idea is the one that is either saleable or is worthy of imitation.