All art worthy of the name is religious.

- Henri Matisse

An artist must never be a prisoner. Prisoner? An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of…

- Henri Matisse

Drawing is of the Spirit and color of the Senses.

- Henri Matisse

Truth and reality in art begin at the point where the artist ceases to understand what he is doing and capable of doing - yet feels in himself a forc…

- Henri Matisse

The artist begins with a vision - a creative operation requiring an effort.

- Henri Matisse

Truly, I'm not joking when I thank my lucky stars for the awful operation I had, since it has made me young again and philosophical which means that …

- Henri Matisse

...for whether we want to or not, we belong to our time and we share in its opinions, its feelings, even its delusions.

- Henri Matisse

The truly original artist invents his own signs.

- Henri Matisse

You study, you learn, but you guard the original naivete. It has to be within you, as desire for drink is within the drunkard or love is within the l…

- Henri Matisse