Matisse makes a drawing, then he makes a copy of it. He copies it five times, ten times, always clarifying the line. He’s convinced that the last, the most stripped down, is the best, the purest, the definitive one; and in fact, most of the time, it was the first. In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt.

Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.

Whether he wants it or not, man is the instrument of nature; she imposes on him character and appearance.

How often have I found that wanting to use blue, I didn't have it so I used a red instead of the blue.

Painting is a jeu d'esprit.

To draw you must close your eyes and sing.