Honore de Balzac
  • What is art? Nature concentrated.

  • All humanity is passion without passion, religion, history, novels, art would be ineffectual.

  • At fifteen, beauty and talent do not exist there can only be promise of the coming woman.

  • Children, dear and loving children, can alone console a woman for the loss of her beauty.

  • Towns find it as hard as houses of business to rise again from ruin.