A Journey Toward Peace

"We simply want to live, to live freely and in dignity!"

How many times have I repeated this sentence? Countless times! I do so whenever violence erupts in my country and elsewhere.

While peace is a widely used theme by some people to celebrate joy and freedom, it is considered by others as a dream or a mirage. Peace for them is an unreachable and impossible dream.

When I decided to concentrate on the topic of peace, it was natural for me to choose Leo Tolstoy's quotes as he lavishly covered this topic in his writing. And, when thinking about love and freedom, Henri Matisse ranks as my first choice as an artist. So it seems appropriate to combine a series of quotes by Tolstoy with some of Matisse’s artworks.

Please ponder and enjoy them.

Freedom of Thought

“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy

“All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.”― Leo Tolstoy

Life goes on

“There will be today, there will be tomorrow, there will be always, and there was yesterday, and there was the day before...” ― Leo Tolstoy

Respect of Diversity

“All the diversity, all the charm, and all the beauty of life are made up of light and shade.”― Leo Tolstoy

“I think… if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.” — Leo Tolstoy

Love, Live and Let Live

“If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed.” ― Leo Tolstoy

All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.―Leo Tolstoy

 “I simply want to live; to cause no evil to anyone but myself.” ― Leo Tolstoy

All  depicted artworks are by Henri Matisse

“Everything I know, I know because of love.”

I have chosen this particular quote from Leo Tolstoy's as a title because it depicts well the things I appreciate most in life:

• Love, to give and receive abundantly. 
• Peace, to be able to live freely and with dignity.
• Knowledge, the gifts we have are there for us to share with others.

Next, are some of my favorite quotations and related artworks.

"Anticipation" by Freydoun Rassouli 

“Pleasure is found first in anticipation, later in memory.”― Gustave Flaubert

"Surrendering" by Freydoun Rassouli 

"Come out of the circle of time / And into the circle of love." ― Rumi

 Artwork by Massimiliano Gasparini

"You came suddenly and stole three things from me.

The patience from my heart, the color from my face and the sleep from my eyes." ―Rumi

Artwork by David Walker

"I closed my mouth and spoke to you in a hundred silent ways." ―Rumi

 

Artwork by Helene Schjerfbeck

"Does he who is always waiting suffer more than he who’s never waited for anyone?” ― Pablo Neruda

Detail of Jupiter and Io by Correggio

“Love is the enchanted dawn of every heart.”  ― Alphonse de Lamartine

  Photography  by Rachel Baran

"At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet."―  Plato

  Artwork  by Jylian Gustlin 

"Love is the whole thing. We are only pieces." ― Rumi

"Nocturnal reverie" by Helena Wierzbicki

"I purified my lips with sacred fire that I might speak of love, but when I opened my mouth to speak, I found myself mute." ―Khalil Gibran