It was the basilica of gossip, the Vatican of inside dope.

The desire to be primitive was very much a function of fin-de-siècle imperialism; it appealed to strong egos and domineering minds.

On the whole, money does artists much more good than harm. The idea that one benefits from cold water, crusts and debt collectors is now almost extinct, like belief in the reformatory power of flogging.

I have never been against new art as such; some of it is good, much is crap, most is somewhere in between.

Political stress is always apt to shrink the private arena and attach it on to the public

Confidence is the prize given to the mediocre

A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools in a machine shop.