Art in its perfection is not ostentatious; it lies hid and works its effect, itself unseen.

There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking.

The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

Few have been taught to any purpose who have not been their own teachers.

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts.

Our Exhibitions [The Royal Academy] have... a mischievous tendency, by seducing the Painter to an ambition of pleasing indiscriminately the mixed multitude of people who resort to them.

The great end of all arts is to make an impression on the imagination and the feeling. The imitation of nature frequently does this. Sometimes it fails and something else succeeds.

A mere copier of nature can never produce anything great.

Taste depends upon those finer emotions which make the organization of the soul.

Genius is supposed to be a power of producing excellences which are put of the reach of the rules of art: a power which no precepts can teach, and which no industry can acquire.

Invention strictly speaking, is little more than a new combination of those images which have been previously gathered and deposited in the memory; nothing can come from nothing.

Just start. A small business can take you to the level of empire.

In today's society, Christians have a bad rap for things like holding picketing signs, screaming mantras of hate, and bombing abortion clinics. Somehow, I don't think that's showing love.

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.

If you bet on a horse, that's gambling. If you bet you can make three spades, that's entertainment. If you bet cotton will go up three points, that's business. See the difference?

I think that whatever you do, if you're a singer, a rapper, an architect, dentist, treat that like when you're doing it, your whole career depends on that moment.

All fear violence, all are afraid of death.

The advance of freedom is the great story of our time

Midnight shout and revelry, Tipsy dance and jollity.

Progress comes to those who train and train; reliance on secret techniques will get you nowhere.

Sometimes we would be staked out in the middle of the river, several barges tied together. So we could party.