“A man who has not suffered has nothing to tell with his paintings.”

“The man who has a conscience suffers whilst acknowledging his sin. That is his punishment.”

“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannotlearn, feel, change, grow or love.Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited his freedom.Only the person who risks is truly free.”

“He has no talent at all, that boy! You, who are his friend, tell him, please, to give up painting.–--Manet to Monet, on Renoir---”

“A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer.”

“An honest self-portrait is extremely rare because a man who has reached the degree of self-consciousness presupposed by the desire to paint his own portrait has almost always also developed an ego-consciousness which paints himself painting himself, and introduces artificial highlights and dramatic shadows.”