You must always remain master of the situation and do what you please. No school tasks, ah, no! no tasks!

I paint what I see and not what others like to see.

There is only one true thing: Instantly paint what you see.

You would hardly believe how difficult it is to place a figure alone on a canvas, and to concentrate all the interest on this single and universal figure and still keep it living and real.

It is not enough to know your craft - you have to have feeling. Science is all very well, but for us imagination is worth far more.

Color is a matter of taste and sensitivity.

In a face, look for the main light and the main shadow; the rest will come naturally — it's often not important. And then you must cultivate your memory, because Nature will only provide you with references. Nature is like a warden in a lunatic asylum. It stops you from becoming banal.