Joshua Reynolds Quotes

"Words should be employed as the means, not the end; language is the instrument, conviction is the work."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Work, Conviction, End, Language, Words)

"Invention, strictly speaking, is little more than a new combination of those images which have been previously gathered and deposited in the memory; nothing can come of nothing."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Invention, Memory, Nothing)

"The real character of a man is found out by his amusements."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Character, Man)

"The greatest man is he who forms the taste of a nation; the next greatest is he who corrupts it."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Man, Nation, Taste)

"It is but a poor eloquence which only shows that the orator can talk."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Eloquence, Poor, Talk)

"If you have great talents, industry will improve them: if you have but moderate abilities, industry will supply their deficiency."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Will)

"Few have been taught to any purpose who have not been their own teachers."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Purpose, Teachers)

"Could we teach taste or genius by rules, they would be no longer taste and genius."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Genius, Rules, Taste)

"All the gestures of children are graceful; the reign of distortion and unnatural attitudes commences with the introduction of the dancing master."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Children, Dancing)

"A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Thoughts)

"A mere copier of nature can never produce anything great."
- Joshua Reynolds
(Related: Nature)