If I’m lucky, when I paint, first my patrons leave the room, then my dealers, and if I’m really lucky I leave too.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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