“The trend in some of the contemporary movements in art, but by no means all, seems to deny this ideal and to me appears to lead to a purely decorative conception of painting.”

“In its most limited sense, modern, art would seem to concern itself only with the technical innovations of the period.”

“Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.”

“In general it can be said that a nation's art is greatest when it most reflects the character of its people.”

“The question of the value of nationality in art is perhaps unsolvable.”

“It's to paint directly on the canvas without any funny business, as it were, and I use almost pure turpentine to start with, adding oil as I go along until the medium becomes pure oil. I use as little oil as I can possibly help, and that's my method.”

“I find in working always the disturbing intrusion of elements not a part of my most interested vision, and the inevitable obliteration and replacement of this vision by the work itself as it proceeds.”