Similar to many tortured artists, van Gogh never sold a painting during his 37 years on the planet. He lived a life of squalor and was declared a madman by many in the art world. It wasn’t until the 20th century that his work was reevaluated and glowingly praised by critics. 

Today Vincent Willem van Gogh is widely regarded as one of the great painters. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is visited by millions every year and when his paintings do go on sale, they fetch eye-watering sums of money. 

While he is best known for his paintings, Vincent van Gogh kept diaries full of his thoughts and feelings on life. In these books are inspirational quotes from the famous painter. They also contain encouraging quotes, life lessons, introspective musings, and Van Gogh’s outlook on the world. 

He was a man with much to say, which is why we have collected 74 of the most memorable Vincent van Gogh quotes for you to discover below. 

Vincent van Gogh Quotes About Art

Encyclopedia Britannica

1. “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”

2. “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

3. “A good picture is equivalent to a good deed.”

4. “I put my heart and soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.”

5. “Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter’s soul.”

6. “It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to, the feeling for the things themselves, for reality is more important than the feeling for pictures.”

7. “If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”

8. “Painting is a faith, and it imposes the duty to disregard public opinion.”