The beautiful is in nature, and it is encountered under the most diverse forms of reality. Once it is found it belongs to art, or rather to the artist who discovers it. Beauty, like truth, is relative to the time when one lives and to the individual who can grasp it. The expression of beauty is in direct ratio to the power of conception the artist has acquired. The expression of beauty is in direct ratio to the power of conception the artist has acquired.
Painting is the representation of visible forms. . .
The essence of realism is its negation of the ideal. I hope to live all my life for my art, without abandoning my principles one iota, without . . . having painted as much as you can cover with your hand, to please somebody or in order to sell the picture more easily. Scroll down for sources of quotations and special search engines. See also CQ's recommended links to biographical websites Courbet Search the Web. Preface to World's Fair Catalog.