When the bright angel dominates out comes a great work of art a Michelangelo David or a Beethoven symphony.

The greater the decrease in the social significance of an art form the sharper the distinction between criticism and enjoyment by the public. The conventional is uncritically enjoyed and the truly new is criticized with aversion.

What you have now is a Hollywood that is pure poison. Hollywood was a central place in the history of art in the 20th century: it was human idealism preserved. And then like any great place it collapsed and it collapsed into the most awful machinery in the world.

I am not a great cook I am not a great artist but I love art and I love food so I am the perfect traveller.

It's important to debunk the myths of Africa being this benighted continent civilized only when white people arrived. In fact Africans had been creators of culture for thousands of years before. These were very intelligent subtle and sophisticated people with organized societies and great art.

I'm very happy to hear that my work inspires writers and painters. It's the most beautiful compliment the greatest reward. Art should always be an exchange.

To know how to suggest is the great art of teaching. To attain it we must be able to guess what will interest we must learn to read the childish soul as we might a piece of music. Then by simply changing the key we keep up the attraction and vary the song.

As I grew older I realized that it was much better to insist on the genuine forms of nature for simplicity is the greatest adornment of art.

At the beginning of the 20th century the ambition of the great painters was to make paintings that were like music which was then considered as the noblest art.

Great art speaks a language which every intelligent person can understand. The people who call themselves modernists today speak a different language.