“Diligence does not work if there is a lack of innate talent.”

“Talent is cheap; dedication is expensive. It will cost you your life.”

“Who loves — lives, who lives - works, and who works has some bread.”

“An artist does not have to think about what he is doing.”

“The one who has not seen Paris in the morning does not know how beautiful it is.”

“Who wants to do good in this world must deny oneself. A man does not live on this Earth to be happy or to be honest only - he has to do great things for humanity, achieve the generosity of the spirit and rise above the banality where most of the people are drowning and wasting their days.”

“'I saw the light of your room through the bottom of the door,' said vice-admiral, 'the watchman told me he had seen you in the yard four o'clock in the morning. How many hours per day do you work?''It depends. Sometimes eighteen, sometimes twenty.''Twenty!' Uncle Jan shook his head, his face became even more concerned. Vice-admiral could not believe that there would be such a thickhead in Van Gogh family.”