Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective processes, and incomprehensibly to himself, all his progress should enter so swiftly into the work that he is unable to recognise them in the moment of transition. Alas, the artist who waits in ambush there, watching, detaining them, will find them transformed like the beautiful gold in the fairy tale which cannot remain gold because some small detail was not taken care of.

Surely all art is the result of one's having been in danger, of having gone through an experience all the way to the end, where no one can go any further.

Painting is something that takes place among the colors, and ... one has to leave them alone completely, so that they can settle the matter among themselves. T…

Everywhere I am folded, there I am a lie.

Cette petite composition qui est, helas, le dernier peche mortel de ma vieillesse.

I realized that it was not by wisdom that poets write their poetry, but by a kind of nature or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets; for these a…

...Wisdom says: be strong! Then canst thou bear more joy. Be not animal; refine thy rapture! If thou drink, drink by the eight and ninety rules of art: if thou…