Literary Birthday – 30 August – Théophile Gautier

Théophile Gautier was born 30 August 1811 and died 23 October 1872.

Nine Quotes

1. Books follow morals, and not morals books.
2. It is a difficult matter to gain the affection of a cat. He is a philosophical, methodical animal, tenacious of his own habits, fond of order and neatness, and disinclined to extravagant sentiment. He will be your friend, if he finds you worthy of friendship, but not your slave.
3. To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind.
4. When we love – we grow.
5. The arts teach and moralise by their beauty alone, not by translating a philosophical or social formula. For the truly artistic person, painting has itself as it’s purpose, which is quite enough.
6. I was born to travel and write verse.
7. The word poet literally means maker: anything which is not well made doesn’t exist.
8. [Great artists] do not copy what they see, but what they desire.
9. Art is beauty, the perpetual invention of detail, the choice of words, the exquisite care of execution.

Théophile Gautier was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic.

Source for image – photographed by Nadar

by Amanda Patterson

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