Common observation and a plain understanding is the source of all art.

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.

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

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.

An Atheist, is nothing but a bankrupt Anarchist.

Every right decision you create opens a wide gate to your destiny.

I treat all women with the utmost respect both professionally and personally and would never do anything to disrespect them.

If I'm laughing, you know I'm either very happy or very sad. I cope with things with jokes.

Martyrdom has always been a proof of the intensity, never of the correctness of a belief.

This time it will be a long one.

Get rid of all the hesitation, it's time for you to seize the day.

The effect of a good government is to make life more valuable; of a bad one, to make it less valuable.

Some actors pride themselves on disappearing into a role. I'm into the game because I like experiencing and exploring themes, so I put a lot of myself into the person.

I've never seen a woman half as beautiful as Jennifer Love Hewitt.