Greater completion marks the progress of art, absolute completion usually its decline.

An architect should live as little in cities as a painter. Send him to our hills, and let him study there what nature understands by a buttress, and what by a dome.

Wherever men are noble, they love bright colour; and wherever they can live healthily, bright colour is given them—in sky, sea, flowers, and living creatures.

To cultivate sympathy you must be among living creatures, and thinking about them; and to cultivate admiration, you must be among beautiful things and looking at them.

The first duty of a state is to see that every child born therein shall be well housed, clothed, fed and educated till it attains years of discretion.

I have not written in vain if I have heretofore done anything towards diminishing the reputation of the Renaissance landscape painting.

If the thing is impossible, you need not trouble yourselves about it; if possible, try for it.