“Here, on the river’s verge, I could be busy for months without changing my place, simply leaning a little more to right or left.”

Under this fine rain I breathe in the innocence of the world. I feel coloured by the nuances of infinity. At this moment I am one with my picture. We are an iridescent chaos.

Whoever the master is whom you prefer, this must only be a directive for you. Otherwise you will never be anything but an imitator.

I want to die painting.

Keep good company – that is, go to the Louvre.

One does not substitute oneself for the past, one merely adds to it a new link.

There is no light painting or dark painting, but simply relations of tones.

We must not be content to memorize the beautiful formulas of our illustrious predecessors. Let us go out and study beautiful nature.

Knowledge of the means to express our emotion is essential- and is acquired only after a very long experience.

I must be more sensible and realize that at my age, illusions are hardly permitted and they will always destroy me.

The painter must enclose himself within his work; he must respond not with words, but with paintings.

Doubtless there are things in nature which have not yet been seen. If an artist discovers them, he opens the way for his successors.

The world doesn’t understand me and I don’t understand the world, that’s why I’ve withdrawn from it.

My nervous system is enfeebled, only work in oils can sustain me.

The landscape thinks itself in me and I am its consciousness.

For an Impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations.

Monet is only an eye, but my God, what an eye!