The old masters are perfect and admirable examples, on condition that we remember that the spirit gives life and the letter kills, and that even the … - Georges Rouault

A painter who loves his art must be careful not to see too much of critics and men of letters. These gentlemen, however unconsciously, distort everything, thinking that they are explaining it — the artist's thought, sensibility, and intensions. They take away his strength, just as Delilah took away Samson's. They have no gift for nuances, and they have an instinctive aversion for everything that is beyond their reach and baffles them.

The artist discards all theories, both his own and those of others. He forgets everything when he is in front of his canvas.

Painting for me is merely a means of forgetting life. It is a cry in the night. A sob broken off. A strangled laugh.