For me, painting is a way to forget life. It is a cry in the night, a strangled laugh.

A tree against the sky possesses the same interest, the same character, the same expression as the figure of a human.

The conscience of an artist worthy of the name is like an incurable disease which causes him endless torment but occasionally fills him with silent joy.

My only objective is to paint a Christ so moving that those who see him will be converted.

Subjective artists are one-eyed, but objective artists are blind.

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

I am a believer and a conformist. Anyone can revolt; it is much more difficult to obey our inner promptings.

The richness of the world, all artificial pleasures, have the taste of sickness and give off a smell of death in the face of certain spiritual possessions.

Nothing is old, nothing is new, save the light of grace underneath which beats a human heart.

I am a believer and a conformist.

Anyone can revolt. It is more difficult silently to obey our own inner promptings, and to spend our lives finding sincere and fitting means of expression for our temperament and our gifts.

I fear three newspapers more than a hundred thousand bayonets.

... I am dark but fair, / Black but fair.

I don't want to be predictable at all.

My body is beautiful and sacred, and I'm going to celebrate it.

In a well-run mental household there ought to be a thorough cleaning at the threshold of consciousness a few times a year.

You don't compete with dollars, but you compete with ideas. Your only real borders are what you can imagine.

No time is ever wasted if you have a book along as a companion.

This only is certain, that there is nothing certain.

I'm not going to bargain in the media because I don't think that's appropriate.

Has the pope questioned the faith of any communist leaders? He spends a lot of time in communist countries.