Washington Allston
Washington Allston
Washington Allstonwas an American painter and poet, born in Waccamaw Parish, South Carolina. Allston pioneered America's Romantic movement of landscape painting. He was well known during his lifetime for his experiments with dramatic subject matter and his bold use of light and atmospheric color...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPainter
Date of Birth5 November 1779
CityGeorgetown, SC
CountryUnited States of America
men mind half
An original mind is rarely understood, until it has been reflected from some half-dozen congenial with it, so averse are men to admitting the true in an unusual form; whilst any novelty, however fantastic, however false, is greedily swallowed.
art tyrants mind
Reverence is an ennobling sentiment; it is felt to be degrading only by the vulgar mind, which would escape the sense of its own littleness by elevating itself into an antagonist of what is above it. He that has no pleasure in looking up is not fit so much as to look down. Of such minds are mannerists in Art; in the world, tyrants of all sorts.
mind distinction objects
Distinction is the consequence, never the object of a great mind.
art doors genius
The Painter who seeks popularity in Art closes the door upon his own genius.
voters reputation popularity
Reputation is but a synonym of popularity: dependent on suffrage, to be increased or diminished at the will of the voters.
respect looks fit
He who has no pleasure in looking up, is not fit so much as to look down.
believe men effort
All effort at originality must end either in the quaint or the monstrous. For no man knows himself as an original; he can only believe it on the report of others.
lying toads young
Nothing is rarer than a solitary lie; for lies breed like Surinam toads; you cannot tell one but out it comes with a hundred young ones on its back.
evil lazy delay
It is my greatest misfortune to be too lazy, and by the few mortifications I have already set with on that account I predict many evils in my future life. I have always the inclination to do what I ought; but by continually procrastinating for tomorrow the business of today, I insensibly delay, until at the end of one month I find myself in the same place as when I began it.
lying peculiar half
The most intangible, and therefore the worst, kind of a lie is a half truth. This is the peculiar device of a conscientious detractor.
fool proud mercy
The greatest of all fools is the proud fool--who is at the mercy of every fool he meets.
men idols faults
Make no man your idol, for the best man must have faults; and his faults will insensibly become yours, in addition to your own.
believe men excellence
I cannot believe that any man who deserved fame ever labored for it; that is, directly. For, as fame is but the contingent of excellence, it would be like an attempt to project a shadow, before its substance was obtained.
envy common praise
The most common disguise of Envy is in praise of what is subordinate.