I hope to live all my life for my art, without abandoning my principles one iota, without . . . having painted as much as you can cover with your hand, to please somebody or in order to sell the picture more easily.
Gustave CourbetI have never seen either angels or goddesses, so I am not interested in painting them.
Gustave CourbetBeauty lies in nature and reveals, once the artist has perceived it, its own expressive power.
Gustave Courbet