It took me time to understand my water lilies. I had planted them for the pleasure of it; I grew them without ever thinking of painting them.

Despite my extremely modest prices, dealers and art lovers are turning their backs on me. It is very depressing to see the lack of interest shown in an art object which has no market value.

All I did was to look at what the universe showed me, to let my brush bear witness to it.

Light is the most important person in the picture.

I've done what I could as a painter and that seems to me to be sufficient. I don't want to be compared to the great masters of the past, and my painting is open to criticism; that's enough.

The only merit I have is to have painted directly from nature with the aim of conveying my impressions in front of the most fugitive effects.

Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.