William Dobell Quotes on Art

Sir William Dobell is a famous Australian portrait painter and draftsman. He is best known for his wonderfully expressive portraits with elongated features. His controversial Archibald Prize winning “Portrait of an Artist” (Joshua Smith) made him a household name in Australia when the result was contested in court. Famous William Dobell works include “Dame Mary Gilmore”, “Margaret Olley”, “Storm Approaching Wangi”, “The Duchess Disrobes”, “Portrait of a Strapper”, and “Portrait of an Artist, Joshua Smith”.

Mini biography: Born William Dobell on the 24th of September, 1899 in Cooks Hill, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. His mother was Margaret Emma Wrightson and his father Robert Way Dobell. The artist died on the 13th of May, 1970 in Wangi Wangi on Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia at the age of 70. Dobell’s remains are now resting at the Newcastle Memorial Park in Beresfield, NSW, Australia.

List of William Dobell Art Quotes

I’ve never been able to go out and paint. I’ve never liked drawing or painting in public. I can’t bring myself to that. William Dobell

I was always interested in drawing but really had no intentions of being a painter. My idea was to be a newspaper man, a newspaper cartoonist. Commercial artist. William Dobell

I never intended to be a portrait painter. It was after the Joshua Smith painting that people began asking me to do portraits but I never wanted to be commissioned to paint portraits. I like to choose my own subject and make a character study from it. William Dobell

My best work was always done and still is I think when I’m experimenting. If I stop experimenting I feel it just becomes a drudgery. That’s why I take so long and my sitters get tired waiting for commissioned portraits. If they commission me they have to wait years sometimes because I discard so many. William Dobell

A sincere artist is not one who makes a faithful attempt to put on to canvas what is in front of him, but one who tries to create something which is, in itself, a living thing. William Dobell

Sometimes I move around the head, getting different angles. For instance if I get a full face there’s nothing to tell you really how large the nose is. I have to get a sculptor’s view of the head and do a side one too because when you’re doing the full job then you can make the nose come forward. William Dobell

So long as people expect paintings to be simply coloured photographs they get no individuality and in the case of portraits, no characterisation. The real artist is striving to depict his subject’s character and to stress the caricature, but at least it is art which is alive. William Dobell

Art fails to be Art if you fail to select for your design. All artists must do that and I did it. William Dobell

Honing a thing down until you can still get through with economy, that’s power. Learn your technique thoroughly, immerse yourself in it, and then just throw it all out the window, and express what you feel.. and it will come through that you are a technician. William Dobell

William Dobell Self Portrait Painting

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Related or similar popular artists and celebrities include: John Brack, Lloyd Rees, Brett Whiteley and other Famous Australian Artists.