Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.
In general it can be said that a nation's art is greatest when it most reflects the character of its people.
In its most limited sense, modern, art would seem to concern itself only with the technical innovations of the period.
The trend in some of the contemporary movements in art, but by no means all, seems to deny this ideal and to me appears to lead to a purely decorative conception of painting.
No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination.