The Value And Rank Of Every Art

Art In Its Perfection Is Not Ostentatious; It Lies Hid And Works Its Effect, Itself Unseen.

By Leaving A Student To Himself He May... Be Led To Undertake Matters Above His Strength, But The Trial Will At Least Have This Advantage: It Will Discover To Himself His Own Deficiencies And This Discovery Alone Is A Very Considerable Acquisition.

Our Exhibitions [the Royal Academy] Have... A Mischievous Tendency, By Seducing The Painter To An Ambition Of Pleasing Indiscriminately The Mixed Multitude Of People Who Resort To Them.

A Room Hung With Pictures Is A Room Hung With Thoughts.

The Great End Of All Arts Is To Make An Impression On The Imagination And The Feeling. The Imitation Of Nature Frequently Does This. Sometimes It Fails And Something Else Succeeds.