Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Hans Hoffman

Creation is dominated by three absolutely different factors: First, nature, which works upon us by its laws; second, the artist, who creates a spiritual contact with nature and his materials; third, the medium of expression through which the artist translates his inner world. Of those three components only one, the medium, is material.

Words |

Hans Hoffman

It is the greatest injustice done to Mondrian that people who are plastically blind see only decorative design instead of the plastic perfection which characterizes his work. The whole De Stijl group from which Mondrian's art was derived must be considered a protest against such blindness.

Words |

Hans Rosling

I meet so many that think population growth is a major problem in regard to climate change. But the number of children born per year in the world has stopped growing since 1990. The total number of children below 15 years of age in the world are now relatively stable around 2 billion.

Words |

Hans Hoffman

Basically I hate categorical labels. As a young artist I already was very clear about this ? that "objectification" is not the final aim of art. For there are greater things than the object. The greatest thing is the human mind.

Words |

Italian Proverbs

The applause of the people is a blast of air.

Art | Words | Art |

Italian Proverbs

Of the great and of the dead either speak will or say nothing.

Control | Failure | Patience | Wisdom | World | Failure |

Italian Proverbs

One bird in hand is better far Than two that in the bushes are.

God | Sin | Wisdom | God |

Italian Proverbs

The difficult thing is to get foot in the stirrup.

Books | Future | Wonder | Words |

Italian Proverbs

When a man has fallen into the mire, the more he flounders the more he fouls himself.

Dishonesty | Life | Life | Little | People | Reason | Self | Sense | Truth | Words | Think |

Italian Proverbs

When the wind serves, all aid.

Wisdom |

Italian Proverbs

The shadow of a lord is a cap for a fool.

Language | People | Words |

Italian Proverbs

Who wants to win a gander, you need to weigh Drake.

Theology | Words |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

Better mistrust undeserved than rash words.

Order | Words |

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

Many a man is praised for his reserve and so-called shyness when he is simply too proud to risk making a fool of himself.

Better | Diligence | Nothing | Purity | Right | Sloth | Thinking | Words | Wrong | Friends |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

In one thing you have not changed, dear friend,' said Aragorn: 'you still speak in riddles.' 'What? In riddles?' said Gandalf. 'No For I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to; the long explanations needed by the young are wearying.

Will | Words |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

It will not do to leave a live dragon out of your plans if you live near one.

Little | Will | Wisdom |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

GANDALF: 'I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure, and it's very difficult to find anyone.' BILBO: 'I should think so, in these parts. We're plain, quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things, they make you late for dinner.

Wisdom |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

I sit beside the fire and think of all that i have seen of meadow flowers and butterflies in summers that have been of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were with morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair. I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be when winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see. For still there are so many things that I have never seen in every wood in every spring there is a different green. I sit beside the fire and think of people long ago and people that will see a world that i shall never know. But all the while I sit and think of times there were before I listen for returning feet and voices at the door.

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