Edouard Manet Quotes & Sayings

This woman's work is exceptional. Too bad she's not a man. — Edouard Manet

There is only one true thing: instantly paint what you see. When you've got it, you've got it. When you haven't, you begin again. All the rest is humbug. — Edouard Manet

I would kiss you, had I the courage. — Edouard Manet

Black is not a color. — Edouard Manet

There is no symmetry in nature. One eye is never exactly the same as the other. — Edouard Manet

The latest fashion ... is absolutely necessary for a painting. It's what matters most. — Edouard Manet

The country only has charms for those not obliged to stay there. — Edouard Manet

I need to work to feel well. — Edouard Manet

I paint as I feel like painting; to hell with all their studies. — Edouard Manet

No one can be a painter unless he cares for painting above all else. — Edouard Manet

You would hardly believe how difficult it is to place a figure alone on a canvas, and to concentrate all the interest on this single and universal figure and still keep it living and real. — Edouard Manet

Every new painting is like throwing myself into the water without knowing how to swim. — Edouard Manet

There are no lines in nature, only areas of colour, one against another. — Edouard Manet

The principal person in a picture is light. — Edouard Manet

One must be of one's time and paint what one sees. — Edouard Manet

Insults are pouring down on me as thick as hail. — Edouard Manet

I paint what I see and not what others like to see. — Edouard Manet

In a face, look for the main light and the main shadow; the rest will come naturally - it's often not important. And then you must cultivate your memory, because Nature will only provide you with references. Nature is like a warden in a lunatic asylum. It stops you from becoming banal. — Edouard Manet

It is not enough to know your craft - you have to have feeling. Science is all very well, but for us imagination is worth far more. — Edouard Manet

Concision in art is a necessity and an elegance. The verbose painter bores: who will get rid of all these trimmings? — Edouard Manet

The attacks of which I have been the object have broken the spring of life in me ... People don't realize what it feels like to be constantly insulted. — Edouard Manet

Color is a matter of taste and of sensitivity. — Edouard Manet

There's no symmetry in nature. One eye is never exactly the same as the other. There's always a difference. We all have a more or less crooked nose and an irregular mouth. — Edouard Manet

Every time I paint, I throw myself into the water
in order to learn how to swim. — Edouard Manet

If I'm lucky, when I paint, first my patrons leave the room, then my dealers, and if I'm really lucky I leave too. — Edouard Manet

Above all, keep your colors fresh! — Edouard Manet

Who is this Monet whose name sounds just like mine and who is taking advantage of my notoriety? — Edouard Manet

Conciseness in art is essential and a refinement. The concise man makes one think; the verbose bores. Always work towards conciseness. — Edouard Manet

Color is a matter of taste and sensitivity. — Edouard Manet