Gustave Flaubert: Work

Gustave Flaubert was French writer (1821–1880). Explore interesting quotes on work.
Gustave Flaubert: 196   quotes 11   likes

“The artist must be in his work as God is in creation, invisible and all-powerful; one must sense him everywhere but never see him.”

Gustave Flaubert

18 March 1857
Correspondence, Letters to Mademoiselle Leroyer de Chantepie

God , Sense

“Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.”

Gustave Flaubert

Soyez réglé dans votre vie et ordinaire comme un bourgeois, afin d'être violent et original dans vos œuvres. To Gertrude Tennant (December 25, 1876)
Correspondence
Variant: Be regular and orderly in your life like a bourgeois, so that you may be violent and original in your work.

Back To Work , Life

“The public wants work which flatters its illusions.”

Gustave Flaubert

“Better to work for yourself alone. You do as you like and follow your own ideas, you admire yourself and please yourself: isn’t that the main thing? And then the public is so stupid. Besides, who reads? And what do they read? And what do they admire?”

Gustave Flaubert
Stupidity , Idea , Reading

“The man is nothing, the work — all. (December 1875)”

Gustave Flaubert

L'homme n'est rien, l'oeuvre – tout
Slightly misquoted in "The Red-Headed League" by Arthur Conan Doyle as L'homme c'est rien – l'oeuvre c'est tout.
Correspondence, Letters to George Sand

“The brazen arms were working more quickly. They paused no longer. Every time that a child was placed in them the priests of Moloch spread out their hands upon him to burden him with the crimes of the people, vociferating: "They are not men but oxen!" and the multitude round about repeated: "Oxen! oxen!"”

Gustave Flaubert book Salammbô

The devout exclaimed: "Lord! Eat!"
Salammbô (1862), Ch. 13 : Moloch

Men , People , Time

“You can calculate the worth of a man by the number of his enemies, and the importance of a work of art by the harm that is spoken of it.”

Gustave Flaubert

14 June 1853
Correspondence, Letters to Madame Louise Colet

Art