38 Quotes by Edouard Manet

In a face, look for the main light and the main shadow; the rest will come naturally — it's often not important. And then you must cultivate your memory, because Nature will only provide you with references. Nature is like a warden in a lunatic asylum. It stops you from becoming banal.

There is only one true thing: Instantly paint what you see.

Conciseness in art is essential and a refinement. The concise man makes one think; the verbose bores. Always work towards conciseness.

Every new painting is like throwing myself into the water without knowing how to swim.

This woman’s work is exceptional. Too bad she’s not a man.

There is only one true thing: instantly paint what you see. When you’ve got it, you’ve got it. When you haven’t, you begin again. All the rest is humbug.

It is not enough to know your craft – you have to have feeling. Science is all very well, but for us imagination is worth far more.

There’s no symmetry in nature. One eye is never exactly the same as the other. There’s always a difference. We all have a more or less crooked nose and an irregular mouth.

One must be of one’s time and paint what one sees.