E.H. Gombrich
E.H. Gombrich was an Austrian-born art historian and author, celebrated for his influential work in art and cultural history. Best known for "The Story of Art," he brought art to a broader audience with accessible and engaging prose. Gombrich's scholarship emphasized the importance of context in understanding art, and his contributions have left a lasting impact on how art history is studied and appreciated worldwide.
Book summaries for books written by E.H. Gombrich
Quotes
There is no such thing as art for art's sake. Art is always for the sake of something else.
The history of art is the history of revivals.
To be modern is not a fashion, it is a state. It is necessary to understand history, and he who understands history knows how to find continuity between that which was, that which is, and that which will be.
The artist's job is to be a witness to his time in history.
The artist is not a different kind of person, but every person is a different kind of artist.
Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one person consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings and also experience them.
Art is an invention of aesthetics, which in turn is an invention of philosophers... What we call art is a game.
Art is like a border of flowers along the course of civilization.
Art is an appeal to the senses. If it ceases to be that, it is not art.
The artist's only responsibility is his art. He will be completely ruthless if he is a good one.
Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.
Art is not the possession of the few who are recognized writers, painters, musicians; it is the authentic expression of any and all individuality.