I've Always Refused Requests Even

It Took Me Time To Understand My Water Lilies. I Had Planted Them For The Pleasure Of It; I Grew Them Without Ever Thinking Of Painting Them.

The Older I Become The More I Realize Of That I Have To Work Very Hard To Reproduce What I Search: The Instantaneous. The Influence Of The Atmosphere On The Things And The Light Scattered Throughout.

Perhaps It's True That I'm Very Hard On Myself, But That's Better Than Exhibiting Mediocre Work... Too Few Were Satisfactory Enough To Trouble The Public With.

I Haven't Many Years Left Ahead Of Me And I Must Devote All My Time To Painting, In The Hope Of Achieving Something Worthwhile In The End, Something If Possible That Will Satisfy Me.

It Goes Without Saying That I Will Do Anything At Any Price To Pull Myself Out Of A Situation Like This [rejection] So That I Can Start Work Immediately On My Next Salon Picture And Ensure That Such A Thing Should Not Happen Again.