There is sometimes a greater judgement shewn in deviating from the rules of art, than in adhering to them; and†there ismore beauty inthe works of a great genius who is ignorant of all the rules of art, than in the works of a little genius, who not only knows but scrupulously observes them.

-Addison,Joseph
  In The Spectator, no.592,10 Sep.

   Merit and good works is the end of man's motion, and conscience of the same is the accomplishment of man's rest.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans
  Essays, no.11,'Of Great Place'.

I still hope to create a few great works and then like an old child to finish my earthly course somewhere among kind people.

-Behn, Aphra ne¤  e  Amis
  Letter to F G  Wegeler.

Commit thy works unto the L, and thy thoughts shall be established.

-Bible (Old Testament)
ORDProverbs16:3.

Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works.

-Bible (NewTestament)
Acts of the  Apostles 9:36.

  Faith without works is dead.

-Bible (NewTestament)
James 2:20.

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.

-Bible (NewTestament)
Revelation 3:15^16.

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

-Bible (NewTestament)
Revelation14:13.

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And thesea gave up the dead whichwere in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And deathand hell were cast intothelake of fire.

-Bible (NewTestament)
Revelation 20:11^14.

Benedicite, omnia opera Domini, Domino; laudate et superexaltate eum in secula. Bless the Lord, all the works of the Lord; praise him and exalt him above all things for ever.

-Bible (Vulgate)
Daniel 3:57.

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give.

-Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Second Collect.

I will give thanks unto thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.

-Book of Common Prayer
Psalm139:13.

Poets paint with words, painters speak with works.

-Carracci, Annibale
Attributed rebuke to his brother Agostino. Quoted in G P Bellori Vite (1672).

Of no ageönor of any religion, or party or profession. The body and substance of his works came out of the unfathomable depths of his own oceanic mind.

-Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
  Of Shakespeare. Table Talk (published1835), entry for 15 Mar.

Les oeuvres les plus belles sont celles o  u' il y a le moins de matie'  re; plus l'expression se rapproche de la pense¤  e, plus le mot colle dessus et dispara|"t, plus c'est beau. Je crois que l'avenir de l'art est dans ces voies. The most beautiful works are those that have the least content; the closer the expression is to the thought, the more indistinguishable the word from the content, the more beautiful is the work. I believe that the future of art lies in this direction.

-Flaubert, Gustave
  Letter to Mme Louise Colet,16  Jan.

Works of art, in my opinion, are the only objects in the material universe to possess internal order, and that is why, though I don't believe that only art matters, I do believe in Art for Art's sake.

-Forster, E(dward) M(organ)
Two Cheers for Democracy,'Art for  Art's Sake'.

I have observed, in the course of a dishonest life, that when a rogue is outlining a treacherous plan, he works harder to convince himself than to move his hearers.

-Fraser, George MacDonald
  Flashman.

No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works.

-Grant, Ulysses S(impson)
  Message to Simon Bolivar Buckner, besieged at Fort Donelson,16 Feb. Quoted in P C Headley TheLife and Campaigns of General U. S. Grant (1869), ch.6.

I occasionally play works by contemporary composers and for two reasons. First, to discourage the composer from writing any more, and secondly to remind myself how much I appreciate Beethoven.

-Heifetz,Jascha
  In Life.

As you, the children of my body, have been my tasks, so too are my other works.

-Kollwitz, Ka«  the
  Letter to her son Hans, 21 Feb.