In just the same way the thousands of successive positions of a runner are contracted into one sole symbolic attitude, which our eye perceives, which art reproduces, and which becomes for everyone the image of a man who runs.

The quote by Henri Bergson explores how movement and time are perceived and represented in art. He explains that the many successive positions of a runner, which occur over time, are condensed into a single symbolic attitude—a snapshot that our eye interprets as the essence of running. This process allows art to capture and communicate dynamic motion in a static image, creating a universal image or symbol of a man running.

The meaning behind this quote centers on the idea of how human perception simplifies complex, continuous actions into recognizable and meaningful representations. Bergson highlights the power of art to distill the flow of time and motion into a singular form that everyone can understand, transcending the limits of reality to convey deeper truths about experience.

The origin of this quote comes from Henri Bergson, a French philosopher known for his work on time, consciousness, and creativity. Bergson was interested in the nature of duration and how we perceive the unfolding of time, especially in relation to art and motion. His ideas challenge the conventional ways we understand time as a series of discrete moments, emphasizing instead the fluidity and continuity of lived experience.

In summary, Henri Bergson’s quote teaches us about the relationship between perception, time, and art. It shows how art symbolically captures the essence of movement by synthesizing multiple moments into a single, meaningful attitude, allowing us to grasp the dynamic nature of life through visual representation.