Meandering in the light . . .

Today is the birthday of Ernst Hans Josef Gombrich (March 30, 1909 – November 3, 2001), art historian and author. He is best known for his book, The Story of Art.

"All artistic discoveries are discoveries not of likenesses but of equivalencies which enable us to see reality in terms of an image and an image in terms of reality." - Ernst Gombrich

"What an artist worries about when he plans his pictures, is something... difficult to put into words. Perhaps he would say he worries about whether he has got it 'right.' Now it is only when we understand what he means by this modest little word 'right' that we begin to understand what artists are really after." - Ernst Gombrich

"The paintings in our galleries are seen one day in bright sunshine and another day in the dim light of a rainy afternoon, yet they remain the same paintings, ever faithful, ever convincing. To a marvelous extent they carry their own light within. For their truth is not that of a perfect replica, it is the truth of art." - Ernst Gombrich

"Seeing depends on knowledge - and knowledge, of course, on your college - but when you are erudite and wise - what matters is to use your eyes." - Ernst Gombrich

"One cannot explain the existence of genius. It is better to enjoy it." - Ernst Gombrich

Gombrich image source (1)