To say to the painter that Nature is to be taken as she is, is to say to the player that he may sit on the piano.

Summary

This quote by Édouard Manet emphasizes the importance of artistic interpretation and creativity. It implies that simply imitating or replicating nature in art is as limiting as expecting a musician to derive sound from sitting on a piano, rather than playing it. Manet suggests that artists should not confine themselves to merely reproducing what they see, but rather embrace their own imaginative expressions to create unique and compelling works of art.

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