Michelangelo

"Many believe - and I believe - that I have been designated for this work by God. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up I work out of love for God and I put all my hope in Him."

"The best artist has that thought alone Which is contained within the marble shell The sculptor's hand can only break the spell To free the figures slumbering in the stone."

"I cannot live under pressures from patrons, let alone paint."

"The best of artists has no conception that the marble alone does not contain within itself."

"A man paints with his brains and not with his hands."

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection."