--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The painter should paint not only what he…" description: "\"The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he sees nothing within, then he should stop pai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2d/caspar-david-friedrich-25116_fronts_the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-h_3081754.png" --- # The painter should paint not only what he has in front of… ![“The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he sees nothing within, then he should stop painting what is in front of him.” quote by Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2d/caspar-david-friedrich-25116_fronts_the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-h_3081754.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2d/caspar-david-friedrich-25116_fronts_the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-h_3081754.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2d/caspar-david-friedrich-25116_fronts_the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-h_3081754.png) > “The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he sees nothing within, then he should stop painting what is in front of him.” [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists should express inner vision, not just external reality; without inner insight, art loses purpose. **In simple terms:** Art must reflect inner feelings, not just what is seen. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner imagination before creating. Themes creativity authenticity artistic vision Mood contemplative inspirational Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - painting - writing - design - teaching Key Concepts aesthetic theory self-expression Questions to Reflect On - What inner images inspire your work? - How can you balance inner and outer observation? A Different Perspective A focus on inner vision may neglect technical skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fronts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fronts/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paint/) [Paint Sees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paint-sees-1904516/) [Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter/) [Painter Paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter-paint-1560791/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Perception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stop Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-painting-1505981/) ## Related quotes > [The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-he-has-in-front-of-him-but/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [The painter should not paint what he sees, but what will be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-painter-should-not-paint-what-he-sees-but-what-will-be-seen/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [“What good is it being a painter if you can't paint yourself?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/what-good-is-it-being-a-painter-if-you-can-t-paint-yourself/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [The artist should paint not only what he sees before him, but also what he sees within him. If, however, he sees nothing within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-artist-should-paint-not-only-what-he-sees-before-him-but-also/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [If he sees nothing within, then he should stop painting what is in front of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/if-he-sees-nothing-within-then-he-should-stop-painting-what-is-in/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [One must be of one's time and paint what one sees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what-one-sees/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [Paint records the most delicate gesture and the most tense. It tells whether the painter sat or stood or crouched in front of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-elkins/paint-records-the-most-delicate-gesture-and-the-most-tense-it-tells/) [James Elkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-elkins/) > [Without a good cultural policy, without adequate help, we will always have individualists, shooting stars who are rapidly forgotten or who stop painting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-allen/without-a-good-cultural-policy-without-adequate-help-we-will-always/) [Ralph Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-allen/) > [I realized that I had things in my head not like what I had been taught - not like what I had seen -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-realized-that-i-had-things-in-my-head-not-like-what-i-had-been/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I never want to stop painting. I'm 94 now. What's my secret? I just keep thinking about the painting I'm going to do tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-soulages/i-never-want-to-stop-painting-i-m-94-now-what-s-my-secret-i-just-keep/) [Pierre Soulages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-soulages/) > [I'm not going to stop painting just to take orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-m-not-going-to-stop-painting-just-to-take-orders/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [People won't stop painting, just as they won't stop making music or dancing. This is a facility we have. Children don't stop doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/people-won-t-stop-painting-just-as-they-won-t-stop-making-music-or/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [Most artists never get a chance to be Picasso, but that doesn't mean you would stop painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/most-artists-never-get-a-chance-to-be-picasso-but-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/) > [“If you stop painting policemen in order to paint windmills, criticism remains so overpoweringly policeman-conscious that even a windmill is seen as something with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-milne-2/if-you-stop-painting-policemen-in-order-to-paint-windmills-criticism/) [A.A. Milne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-milne-2/) > [I can't let things go when it comes to stop painting. It has to be my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ackermann/i-can-t-let-things-go-when-it-comes-to-stop-painting-it-has-to-be-my/) [Rita Ackermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ackermann/) ## More by Caspar David Friedrich > [God is everywhere, in the smallest grain of sand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/god-is-everywhere-in-the-smallest-grain-of-sand/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [“I must stay alone and know that I am alone to contemplate and feel nature in full; I have to surrender myself to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/i-must-stay-alone-and-know-that-i-am-alone-to-contemplate-and-feel/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-he-has-in-front-of-him-but/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [If he sees nothing within, then he should stop painting what is in front of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/if-he-sees-nothing-within-then-he-should-stop-painting-what-is-in/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [I have to stay alone in order to fully contemplate and feel nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/i-have-to-stay-alone-in-order-to-fully-contemplate-and-feel-nature/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [“Why, it has often occurred to me to ask myself, do I so frequently choose death, transience, and the grave as subjects for my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/why-it-has-often-occurred-to-me-to-ask-myself-do-i-so-frequently/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [I am not so weak as to submit to the demands of the age when they go against my convictions. I spin a cocoon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/i-am-not-so-weak-as-to-submit-to-the-demands-of-the-age-when-they-go/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [Close your bodily eye, that you may see your picture first with the eye of the spirit. Then bring to light what you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/close-your-bodily-eye-that-you-may-see-your-picture-first-with-the/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [The feelings of another person should never be imposed upon us as a law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-feelings-of-another-person-should-never-be-imposed-upon-us-as-a/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [What the newer landscape artists see in a circle of a hundred degrees in Nature they press together unmercifully into an angle of vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/what-the-newer-landscape-artists-see-in-a-circle-of-a-hundred-degrees/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [You call me a misanthrope because I avoid society. You err; I love society. Yet in order not to hate people, I must avoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/you-call-me-a-misanthrope-because-i-avoid-society-you-err-i-love/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [The artist should paint not only what he sees before him, but also what he sees within him. If, however, he sees nothing within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-artist-should-paint-not-only-what-he-sees-before-him-but-also/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [I must stay alone and know that I am alone to contemplate and feel nature in full; I have to surrender myself to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/i-must-stay-alone-and-know-that-i-am-alone-to-contemplate-and-feel-2/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [The eye and fantasy feel more attracted by nebulous distance than by that which is close and distinct in front of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-eye-and-fantasy-feel-more-attracted-by-nebulous-distance-than-by/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [When a scene is shrouded in mist, it seems greater, nobler, and heightens the viewers' imaginative powers, increasing expectation - like a veiled girl.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/when-a-scene-is-shrouded-in-mist-it-seems-greater-nobler-and/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) [Explore all 23 Caspar David Friedrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) ## More Fronts quotes > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [Some writers say they cannot write in front of a window; many say they cannot function without almost perfect quiet. A writer with only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/some-writers-say-they-cannot-write-in-front-of-a-window-many-say-they/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [Sometimes I envy painters, it is wonderful to remain in front of a bouquet of flowers a whole morning, or even longer. A photographer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-boubat/sometimes-i-envy-painters-it-is-wonderful-to-remain-in-front-of-a/) [Edouard Boubat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-boubat/) > [I used to sit in front of McDonald's and ask people for dollars to get me a cheeseburger. It was bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-pain/i-used-to-sit-in-front-of-mcdonald-s-and-ask-people-for-dollars-to/) [T-Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-pain/) > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [ I love doing sitcoms and I love performing in front of a live audience, so \[Payne\] was a really fun experience. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/i-love-doing-sitcoms-and-i-love-performing-in-front-of-a-live/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. Because you know when you do the take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nerves-are-always-a-big-problem-for-me-which-is-why-i-loved-doing/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I didn't have a lot of exposure to films as a kid, and I never went to the cinema. I had a single mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-didn-t-have-a-lot-of-exposure-to-films-as-a-kid-and-i-never-went-to/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Whether Theresa May had stabbed has stabbed the former Mayor of London in the back and Michael Gove had stabbed him in the front.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-evans/whether-theresa-may-had-stabbed-has-stabbed-the-former-mayor-of/) [Nigel Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-evans/) > [If people are kicking you in the behind, at least you're in front of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/if-people-are-kicking-you-in-the-behind-at-least-you-re-in-front-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [So many people are on the front lines of this fossil fuel frenzy. It is infused with a sense of urgency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-lewis/so-many-people-are-on-the-front-lines-of-this-fossil-fuel-frenzy-it/) [Avi Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-lewis/) > [Our eyes are not viewers, they're also projectors that are running a second story over the picture that we see in front of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/our-eyes-are-not-viewers-they-re-also-projectors-that-are-running-a/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) [Browse all 2,987 Fronts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fronts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he sees nothing within, then he should stop painting what is in front of him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Caspar David Friedrich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-he-has-in-front-of-him-but-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fronts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-he-has-in-front-of-him-but-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2d/caspar-david-friedrich-25116_fronts_the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-h_3081754.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2d/caspar-david-friedrich-25116_fronts_the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-h_3081754.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2d/caspar-david-friedrich-25116_fronts_the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-h_3081754.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he…” — Caspar David Friedrich", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Caspar David Friedrich", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The painter should paint not only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-he-has-in-front-of-him-but-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-he-has-in-front-of-him-but-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```