If you are worthy of its affection, a cat will be your friend but never your slave.

About Theophile Gautier

Pierre Jules Theophile Gautierwas a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic.
While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier’s work is difficult to classify and remains a point of reference for many subsequent literary traditions such as Parnassianism, Symbolism, Decadence and Modernism.

More about the author

More quotes from Theophile Gautier

If you are worthy of its affection, a cat will be your friend but never your slave.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

What I write is not for little girls.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

Any man who does not have his inner world to translate is not an artist.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

Eyes so transparent that through them the soul is seen.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

It is difficult to obtain the friendship of a cat. It is a philosophical animal… one that does not place its affections thoughtlessly.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

Yes, the work comes out more beautiful from a material that resists the process, verse, marble, onyx, or enamel.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

Books follow morals, and not morals books.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

I am one of those for whom superfluity is a necessity.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

Art is beauty, the perpetual invention of detail, the choice of words, the exquisite care of execution.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

The word poet literally means maker: anything which is not well made doesn’t exist.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

Critical lice are like body lice, which desert corpses to seek the living.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

I was born to travel and write verse.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

Sooner barbarity than boredom.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

Chance is the pseudonym of God when he did not want to sign.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

I am a man for whom the outside world exists.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

You do not become a critic until it has been completely established to your own satisfaction that you cannot be a poet.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

A cat will be your friend, but never your slave.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

The cat is a dilettante in fur.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic

To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind.

Theophile Gautier

French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic