Art Quotes
Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.
"Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter."— Oscar Wilde
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Meaning of this quote
A deeply felt portrait can reveal the painter’s emotional investment as much as the sitter’s appearance. Basil uses this idea to explain his reluctance to exhibit a painting.
Key takeaway:
Consider what a creative work reveals about its maker.
Origin of the quote
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), Chapter I, Basil Hallward.
Who actually said this?
VerifiedThe sentence is traceable as dialogue in the novel. It describes an artistic claim made by a fictional character.








