Vincent Van Gogh

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go on their way.

It is better to be high-spirited even though one makes more mistakes, than to be narrow-minded and all too prudent.

The more I think about it, the more I realize there is nothing more artistic than to love others.

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

It seems to me it's a painter's duty to try to put an idea into his work.

One can never study nature too much and too hard

I am always doing what I can't do yet in order to learn how to do it.

What is drawing? It is working oneself through an invisible iron wall that seems to stand between what one feels and what one can do.

The painter of the future will be a colorist unlike anything yet.

It is the language of nature to which one has to listen.

I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate.

If one has such an encounter it is to be expected it will bring him into conflict, especially conflict with himself, because one sometimes literally does not know what to do or what not to do. But is this struggle and even the mistakes one may make, not better, and do they not develop us more than if we keep systematically away from emotions?

So often, a visit to a bookshop has cheered me, and reminded me that there are good things in the world.

How right it is to love flowers and the greenery of pines and ivy and hawthorn hedges; they have been with us from the very beginning.

Admire as much as you can. Most people do not admire enough.

Art is to console those who are broken by life.

Fortunately for me, I know well enough what I want, and am basically utterly indifferent to the criticism that I work to hurriedly. In answer to that, I have done some things even more hurriedly theses last few days.

There is peace even in the storm

Seek only light and freedom and do not immerse yourself too deeply in the worldly mire.

Both she and I have grief enough and trouble enough, but as for regrets – neither of us have any.