Nature varies the seed according to the variety of the things she desires to produce in the world.

The discovery of a good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the discovery of a new star.

Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.

I say that in narrative paintings one should mingle direct contraries close by, because they produce strong contrasts with one another, and all the more so when they are very close together; that is, the ugly next to the beautiful, the big to the small, the old to the young, the strong to the weak; in this way you will vary as much as possible and close by.

Water is the driving force of all nature.

Intellectual passion dries out sensuality.

Make your faces so that they do not all have the same expression, as one sees with most painters, but give them different expression, according to age, complexion, and good or bad character.