All things are from God; and above all, reason and imagination and the great gifts of the mind. They are good in themselves; and we must not altogether forget their origin even in their perversion.

A man cannot be wise enough to be a great artist without being wise enough to wish to be a philosopher.

I may not practice what I preach but God forbid I should preach what I practice

Nothing is so remote from us as the thing which is not old enough to be history and not new enough to be news.

Romance is the deepest thing in life. It is deeper than reality.

We must be clear about what we want to paint. This adds a further principle to our previous list of principles. We have said we must be fond of this world, even in order to change it.

Man seems to be capable of great virtues but not of small virtues; capable of defying his torturer but not of keeping his temper.