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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

"Impressionism is the newspaper of the soul."

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