"But I have to tell you what I saw.. .I had entered a dark room , lit by a small, elongated horizontal window,. .The light cut sharply.. ..and drew itself on the stone floor.. .There behind the table was sitting the Jewish scribe with his arms forward, leaning on the parchment. He turned his lordly head in my direction.. .It was a beautiful head, delicate and translucent pale as alabaster, large and small wrinkles were lining along the small eyes and around the big curved hawk nose. A black cap covered the white skull and a low white-yellow beard lay in large tufts over the written parchment.. .two crutches lay slantingly on the floor beside him. How much I desired to get my sketchbook out.. ..but in front of the staring gaze of the scribe, I didn't find the courage to carry out my intention."

“Actually I don't have any painting at home.. ..they take away everything from me, almost before it's finished.. .That Jewish scribe there, is sold to Buffa, and it isn't finished at all yet. And this 'Kolen lossen' is also sold.. .Then I have here 'The Mowers' - just set up.. .And that drawing here, will be a good piece too!. .That will become a large painting: a 'Jewish Wedding' - at the moment the groom puts the ring on the finger of his bride.. ..you can't see very much yet, do you?”

“That is always difficult and can only become a potboiler.”

“..the owner .. ..had to hear a lot of comments about it, they called it the apotheosis of a cape, the figure much too big for the frame, etc. etc. so they advised him to exchange it for one of my other works.”

“The old clothing-jew I made, was a Jew. But not because he was a Jew I painted him -.. ..a painter paints like a painter and not because he is a Jew.. .”

“Isaac and Liebermann had a lot of hassle with horses at the beach during the summer and I also got a wipe of it..”

“Take care for purity in the paint and not so stinky thick of grease, thin, thin, thin! And just on the light here and there a small push of thick .. ..thick house-interiors are unpleasant - long drawing before you start and arrange pleasantly together all things before you start to paint - if the money does not bother you, it is always useful to visit Rott. .”