Let us beware of common folk, of common sense, of sentiment, of inspiration, and of the obvious.

Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject, nor exact truth, but in the way of feeling.

A silent mouth is sweet to hear.

One should always be drunk. That's all that matters...But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk.

In the domain of painting and statuary, the present-day credo of the worldly wise, especially in France, is this: ... I believe that art is, and can only be, the exact reproduction of nature... An avenging God has heard the prayers of this multitude; Daguerre was his messiah.

God is the only being who, in order to reign, doesn't even need to exist.

There is no more steely barb than that of the Infinite.