Henri Matisse

"I don't know whether I believe in God or not. I think, really, I'm some kind of a Buddhist. But the essential thing is to put oneself in a frame of mind which is close to that of prayer."

"Drawing is like making an expressive gesture with the advantage of permanence."

"What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter - a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue."

"Impressionism is the newspaper of the soul."

"I don't paint things. I only paint the difference between things."

"An artist must never be a prisoner. Prisoner? An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc."

"With color one obtains an energy that seems to stem from witchcraft."

"He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back."

"Time extracts various values from a painter's work. When these values are exhausted the pictures are forgotten, and the more a picture has to give, the greater it is."