24 Quotes by Max Ernst

The artist is a spectator, indifferent or impassioned, at the birth of his work, and observes the phases of its development.

I succeeded in simply attending at the birth of all my works.

The virtue of pride, which was once the beauty of mankind, has given place to that fount of ugliness, Christian humility.

My paintings are not meant to be tasted.

The role of the painter . . . is to project that which sees itself in him.

I have never seen a beautiful painting of a beautiful woman. But you can take an ugly woman and make a beautiful painting of her. It is the painting itself that should be beautiful.

And Loplop, bird superior, has transformed himself into flesh without flesh and will dwell among us...

All good ideas arrive by chance.

Who made art history? Not the most reasonable people. The mad men did. If painting is the mirror of a time, it must be mad to have a true image of what that time is. To one madness we oppose another madness.