I painted two pictures of myself lately, one of which has rather the true character... I always think photographs abominable, and I don't like to have them around, particularly not those of persons I know and love.... photographic portraits wither much sooner than we ourselves do, whereas the painted portrait is a thing which is felt, done with love or respect for the human being that is portrayed.

Complete Letters: With Reproductions of All the Drawings in the Correspondence (ed. 1959)