Isabella d'Este

"I am Isabella d'Este, and I bow to no one but God and the Pope."

"Art is the highest expression of the human spirit."

"A woman's intellect is as capable as a man's, if given the opportunity."

"I collect beauty as others collect gold."

"The mind knows no boundaries of gender or station."

"To love art is to love truth itself."

"I have never accepted mediocrity from myself or others."

"Education is the key that unlocks all doors."

"A patroness must understand the souls of artists."

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but action despite it."

"I surround myself with genius to elevate my own spirit."

"Beauty fades, but intellectual achievement endures."

"The pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong endeavor."

"I am the master of my own destiny."

"Great art requires great patrons."

"Time moves swiftly for those who are idle, slowly for those who work."

"A cultivated mind is a woman's greatest jewel."

"I have learned more from my failures than my triumphs."

"Art and nature are siblings in creation."

"To dream is to imagine possibility."

"I believe in the power of human potential."

"A life without beauty is a life half-lived."

"Patience is the virtue of those who understand true value."

"I am not a ornament, but a force of influence."

"The greatest love is for one's family."

"I have made myself indispensable through merit and will."

"Art transcends the boundaries of nations and tongues."

"To be educated is to be free."

"I seek friendship in those of noble spirit."

"Hope sustains us through the darkest times."