WIST Quotations

Reynolds, Joshua -- “Discourse Eleven” (10 Dec 1782)

Dave — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:10:07 +0000

The great business of study is to form a mind adapted and adequate to all times and all occasions; to which all nature is then laid open, and which may be said to possess the key of her inexhaustible riches.

Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) British painter, critic
“Discourse Eleven” (10 Dec 1782)

Reynolds, Joshua -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:20:24 +0000

The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) British painter, critic
(Attributed)

In Samuel Arthur Bent, Short Sayings of Great Men (1882).

Reynolds, Joshua -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 12:36:59 +0000

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts.

Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) British painter, critic
(Attributed)
(Source)

Quoted in Bolster's Quarterly Magazine (Jul 1827)

Reynolds, Joshua -- Speech to the Royal Academy, London (10 Dec 1784)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

In the practice of art, as well as in morals, it is necessary to keep a watchful and jealous eye over ourselves; idleness, assuming the specious disguise of industry, will lull to sleep all suspicion of our want of an active exertion of strength. A provision of endless apparatus, a bustle of infinite enquiry and research, or even the mere mechanical labour of copying, may be employed, to evade and shuffle off real labour, — the real labour of thinking.

Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) British painter, critic
Speech to the Royal Academy, London (10 Dec 1784)
(Source)

Paraphrased over a long period of time (and still attributed to Reynolds) as: "There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking."

The lecture was later described as the Twelfth Discourse in a 1797 collection of Reynolds' works.

Often attributed to Thomas Edison. More information here.

Reynolds, Joshua -- Speech to the Royal Academy, London (11 Dec 1769)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

If you have great talents, industry will improve them: if you have but moderate abilities, industry will supply their deficiency.

Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) British painter, critic
Speech to the Royal Academy, London (11 Dec 1769)