---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He [the artist] ought to have 'these…"
description: "\"He [the artist] ought to have 'these powerful organs of expression' - colour and chiaroscuro - entirely at his command, that he may use them in every p..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-constable-11301_appearance_he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerf_795848.jpg"
---

#  He \[the artist\] ought to have 'these powerful organs of…

![“He &#91;the artist&#93; ought to have 'these powerful organs of expression' - colour and chiaroscuro - entirely at his command, that he may use them in every possible form, as well as that he may do with the most perfect freedom; therefore, whether he wishes to make the subject of a joyous, solemn, or…” quote by John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-constable-11301_appearance_he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerf_795848.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-constable-11301_appearance_he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerf_795848.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-constable-11301_appearance_he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerf_795848.jpg)

> “He \[the artist\] ought to have 'these powerful organs of expression' - colour and chiaroscuro - entirely at his command, that he may use them in every possible form, as well as that he may do with the most perfect freedom; therefore, whether he wishes to make the subject of a joyous, solemn, or meditative character, by flinging over it the cheerful aspect which the sun bestows, by a proper disposition of shade, or by the appearances that beautify its arising or its setting, a true "General Effect" should never be lost sight of.”

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

An artist must master colour and light to convey any mood while keeping the overall impact intact.

**In simple terms:** Control colour and light for any mood without losing impact.

Key Takeaway

Master technique, keep the effect clear.

Themes

art technique expression composition

Mood

thoughtful inspired

Type

instructional philosophical

When to use this quote

- painting portraits
- landscape work
- studio practice
- art education

Key Concepts

chiaroscuro colour theory visual storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you decide which mood dominates a piece?
- What techniques ensure the main effect remains clear?

A Different Perspective

Balancing multiple moods can dilute a single, strong message.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Appearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-ought-729767/) [Aspect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspect/) [Beautify Arising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautify-arising-6103742/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Cheerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheerful/) [Cheerful Aspect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheerful-aspect-6103744/) [Chiaroscuro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiaroscuro/) [Colour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colour/) [Colour Chiaroscuro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colour-chiaroscuro-6103743/) [Command](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/command/) [Disposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disposition/) [Effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effects/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Joyous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joyous/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Meditative Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditative-character-4676901/) [Organs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organs/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Over it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over-it/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Settings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settings/) [Shade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shade/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sight/) [Solemn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solemn/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/)

## Related quotes

> [When I was filming, I imagined that Legolas was a meditative character who was very thoughtful and had a certain amount of depth to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-bloom/when-i-was-filming-i-imagined-that-legolas-was-a-meditative-character/)

[Orlando Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-bloom/)

> [A good artist ought never to allow impatience to overcome his sense of the main end of art - perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo/a-good-artist-ought-never-to-allow-impatience-to-overcome-his-sense/)

[Michelangelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelangelo/)

> [Wholeness is the enemy of the artist. We ought to be broken, ruined in some way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/wholeness-is-the-enemy-of-the-artist-we-ought-to-be-broken-ruined-in/)

[Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/)

> [The artist ought to know that a thousand painful deaths always lead into greater life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steindl-rast/the-artist-ought-to-know-that-a-thousand-painful-deaths-always-lead/)

[David Steindl-Rast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steindl-rast/)

> [A modeled form is less striking than one which is not. Modeling prevents shock and limits movement to the visual depth. Without modeling or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-miro/a-modeled-form-is-less-striking-than-one-which-is-not-modeling/)

[Joan Miro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-miro/)

> [“Courage is the chiaroscuro of characteristics. By that I mean I don’t know what I mean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/courage-is-the-chiaroscuro-of-characteristics-by-that-i-mean-i-don-t/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [In each of us lie good and bad, light and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice... No one can live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/in-each-of-us-lie-good-and-bad-light-and-dark-art-and-pain-choice-and/)

[Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/)

> [Our mind is the canvas on which the artists lay their colour; their pigments are our emotions; their chiaroscuro the light of joy, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-mind-is-the-canvas-on-which-the-artists-lay-their-colour-their/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The rat called Chiaroscuro did not look away. He let the light from the upstairs world enter him and fill him. He gasped aloud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/the-rat-called-chiaroscuro-did-not-look-away-he-let-the-light-from/)

[Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/)

> [“Our room swallowed light whole. Even in summer when sunlight glared through the windows, it was somehow dim inside. Now it was only Easter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-west/our-room-swallowed-light-whole-even-in-summer-when-sunlight-glared/)

[Mason West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-west/)

> [Although the noise of the chattering clientele is much more significant than the topics of their chatter, it does finally constitute that type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-roth/although-the-noise-of-the-chattering-clientele-is-much-more/)

[Joseph Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-roth/)

> [The passionate reactions of people to a painting, the exclamation, 'Oh, this is wonderful,' may, even if meant in a positive way, entirely destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-louise-von-franz/the-passionate-reactions-of-people-to-a-painting-the-exclamation-oh/)

[Marie-Louise von Franz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-louise-von-franz/)

> [All painting worth its name, unless one is talking about black and white, must include the idea of color as one of its necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-delacroix/all-painting-worth-its-name-unless-one-is-talking-about-black-and/)

[Eugene Delacroix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-delacroix/)

> [The amount of chiaroscuro an idea harbors is the only index of its profundity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/the-amount-of-chiaroscuro-an-idea-harbors-is-the-only-index-of-its/)

[Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/)

> [Grandeur of effect is produced by two different ways which seem entirely opposed to each other. One is by reducing the colors to little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-reynolds/grandeur-of-effect-is-produced-by-two-different-ways-which-seem/)

[Joshua Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-reynolds/)

## More by John Constable

> [There has never been a boy painter, nor can there be. The art requires a long apprenticeship, being mechanical, as well as intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/there-has-never-been-a-boy-painter-nor-can-there-be-the-art-requires/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [I am anxious that the world should be inclined to look to painters for information about painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/i-am-anxious-that-the-world-should-be-inclined-to-look-to-painters/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [We see nothing till we truly understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/we-see-nothing-till-we-truly-understand-it/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [I am anxious that the world should be inclined to look to painters for information about painting. I hope to show that ours is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/i-am-anxious-that-the-world-should-be-inclined-to-look-to-painters-2/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [Painting is a science, and should be pursued as an inquiry into the laws of nature. Why, then, may not landscape painting be considered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/painting-is-a-science-and-should-be-pursued-as-an-inquiry-into-the/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [I do not consider myself at work unless I am before a six-foot canvas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/i-do-not-consider-myself-at-work-unless-i-am-before-a-six-foot-canvas/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [The climax of absurdity to which art may be carried when led away from nature by fashion, may be best seen in the works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/the-climax-of-absurdity-to-which-art-may-be-carried-when-led-away/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [It is much to my advantage that several of my pictures should be seen together, as it displays to advantage their varieties of conception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/it-is-much-to-my-advantage-that-several-of-my-pictures-should-be-seen/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [When we speak of the perfection of art, we must recollect what the materials are with which a painter contends with nature. For the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/when-we-speak-of-the-perfection-of-art-we-must-recollect-what-the/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [The sound of water escaping from mill dams, etc., willows, old rotten planks, slimy posts, and brickwork, I love such things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/the-sound-of-water-escaping-from-mill-dams-etc-willows-old-rotten/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [But the sound of water escaping from mill-dams, &amp;c., willows, old rotten planks, slimy posts, and brickwork, I love such things. Shakespeare could make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/but-the-sound-of-water-escaping-from-mill-dams-c-willows-old-rotten/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [It is always my endeavour however in making a picture that it should be without a companion in the world. At least such should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/it-is-always-my-endeavour-however-in-making-a-picture-that-it-should/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [Still I should paint my own places best; painting is with me but another word for feeling, and I associate "my careless boyhood" with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/still-i-should-paint-my-own-places-best-painting-is-with-me-but/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [The landscape painter must walk in the fields with a humble mind. No arrogant man was ever permitted to see Nature in all her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/the-landscape-painter-must-walk-in-the-fields-with-a-humble-mind-no/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

> [I paint by all the daylight we have and that is little enough, less perhaps than you have by much... imagine to yourself how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/i-paint-by-all-the-daylight-we-have-and-that-is-little-enough-less/)

[John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

[Explore all 60 John Constable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/)

## More Appearance quotes

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [The essence of worldliness is exclusion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jacobsen/the-essence-of-worldliness-is-exclusion-of-god/)

[Henry Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jacobsen/)

> [We must, however, note that what are usually called the high religions made their appearance within about twenty-five hundred years - most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/we-must-however-note-that-what-are-usually-called-the-high-religions/)

[Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/)

> [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [You can have a nice body, dress with the latest fashion. But if you don't have self-confidence sweetheart, forget about looking sexy, you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/you-can-have-a-nice-body-dress-with-the-latest-fashion-but-if-you-don/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/)

[Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/)

> [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/)

[Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/)

> [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Appearance records are pretty special. Mine means a lot to me, not only because I love stats, but because it shows that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/appearance-records-are-pretty-special-mine-means-a-lot-to-me-not-only/)

[David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/)

> [Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. They'd never really know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/every-man-would-fall-in-love-with-their-voice-their-lovely-appearance/)

[Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/)

> [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/)

[Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/)

[Browse all 2,446 Appearance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "He [the artist] ought to have 'these powerful organs of expression' - colour and chiaroscuro - entirely at his command, that he may use them in every possible form, as well as that he may do with the most perfect freedom; therefore, whether he wishes to make the subject of a joyous, solemn, or meditative character, by flinging over it the cheerful aspect which the sun bestows, by a proper disposition of shade, or by the appearances that beautify its arising or its setting, a true \"General Effect\" should never be lost sight of.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Constable"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerful-organs-of-expression/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Appearance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerful-organs-of-expression/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-constable-11301_appearance_he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerf_795848.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-constable-11301_appearance_he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerf_795848.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-constable-11301_appearance_he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerf_795848.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He [the artist] ought to have 'these powerful organs of expression' - colour and chiaroscuro - entirely at…” — John Constable",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Constable",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "He [the artist] ought to have...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerful-organs-of-expression/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/he-the-artist-ought-to-have-these-powerful-organs-of-expression/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
