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The old masters are perfect and admirable examples, on condition that we remember that the spirit gives life and the letter kills, and that even the best pastiche is inferior to the harmonious stammering or incoherence of a child trying to speak.

— Georges Rouault Stella Vespertina (1947)

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More quotes by Georges Rouault

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

Stella Vespertina (1947)

Often pagans, with their eyes wide open, do not see very clearly.

Like the ostrich, head under wing
When the roaring storm breaks,
So many people take refuge
Under the soft pillow
Of specious arguments.

Le Cirque de l'étoile filante (1938)

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 …

Stella Vespertina (1947)

Painting for me is merely a means of forgetting life. It is a cry in the night. A sob broken off. A strangled laugh.

Toulouse Lautrec (1960)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Georges Rouault (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.