The arts have a development which comes not only from the individual but also from a whole acquired force, the civilization which precedes us. One cannot do just anything. A talented artist cannot do whatever he pleases. If he only used his gifts, he would not exist. We are not the masters of what we produce. It is imposed on us.

If I close my eyes, I see things better than with my eyes open.

A thimbleful of red is redder than a bucketful.

Drawing is . . . not an exercise of particular dexterity, but above all a means of expressing intimate feelings and moods.

The artist begins with a vision - a creative operation requiring effort. Creativity takes courage.

Truth and reality in art do not arise until you no longer understand what you are doing and are capable of but nevertheless sense a power that grows in proportion to your resistance.

A rapid rendering of a landscape represents only one moment of its existence. I prefer, by insisting upon its essential character, to risk losing charm in order to gain greater stability.