You go outside, light your pipe, whistle a tune and just paint what you come across. (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)

Mauve's advice to his students; as cited by H.L. Berckenhoff, in Anton Mauve, Etsen van Ph. Zilcken, met fascimiles naar schilderijen, teekeningen en studies, Amsterdam 1890, (microfiche RKD-Archive Den Haag: Berckenhoff, 1890, p. 20) | Mauve's way of painting was in fact the opposite of his advice: often changing and much struggle