The crucial discovery was made that, in order to become painting, the universe seen by the artist had to become a private one created by himself.

There has been talk of the risks this painting took by leaving the Louvre. But the risks taken by the boys who landed one day in Normandy-to say nothing of those who had preceded them 25 years before-were much more certain.

Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.

No one asked an artist who was great in his 20s and 30s why he was still painting in his 40s and 50s,

I think of it like a priceless painting, and the artist is deceased. It took years to amass the acres, years to develop the property. You can't get it any other way.

It is an iconic painting by the artist. It fully deserved to make this record for the artist, which is more than three times the previous amount ever achieved by a Turner at auction.