--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can see a world within a portrait…" description: "\"If you can see a world within a portrait I would be happy with that. I don't want to tell the story with a painting, though. I'm trying to get away fro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/danny-fox-31550_get-away_if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait_1707699.jpg" --- # If you can see a world within a portrait I would be happy… ![“If you can see a world within a portrait I would be happy with that. I don't want to tell the story with a painting, though. I'm trying to get away from the story- from the beginning and the ending.” quote by Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/danny-fox-31550_get-away_if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait_1707699.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/danny-fox-31550_get-away_if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait_1707699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/danny-fox-31550_get-away_if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait_1707699.jpg) > “If you can see a world within a portrait I would be happy with that. I don't want to tell the story with a painting, though. I'm trying to get away from the story- from the beginning and the ending.” [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker prefers abstract, internal experience over narrative storytelling in visual art, seeking freedom from linear plots. **In simple terms:** Value internal feeling over story in art. Key Takeaway Embrace ambiguity, avoid forced narratives. Themes creativity art freedom Mood contemplative introspective Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - painting - personal reflection - visual meditation Key Concepts abstraction subjectivity narrative resistance Questions to Reflect On - How does removing narrative affect viewer engagement? - What emotions arise from pure abstraction? A Different Perspective May limit audience connection without a clear story. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Get away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-away/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Painting Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting-trying-1215297/) [Portrait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portrait/) [Portraits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portraits/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-painting-1215295/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Portrait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-portrait-1215296/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Every single painting is different. I'm always trying to figure out what I'm interested in. Usually when I go through and I make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-loeb/every-single-painting-is-different-i-m-always-trying-to-figure-out/) [Damian Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-loeb/) > [When I was a kid, I suppose I got more praise for being able to draw things and paint things than I did for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/when-i-was-a-kid-i-suppose-i-got-more-praise-for-being-able-to-draw/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [My dog, Puffy. The dog is the perfect portrait subject. He doesn't pose. He isn't aware of the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-demarchelier/my-dog-puffy-the-dog-is-the-perfect-portrait-subject-he-doesn-t-pose/) [Patrick Demarchelier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-demarchelier/) > [Perhaps I have not lined his portrait too clearly. But if he exists, if only for the reason that I have imagined him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/perhaps-i-have-not-lined-his-portrait-too-clearly-but-if-he-exists-if/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [When painting portraits a lot of people say, 'Why not get a photograph of the person?' Photography is wonderful and it is an art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-wyeth/when-painting-portraits-a-lot-of-people-say-why-not-get-a-photograph/) [Jamie Wyeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-wyeth/) > [Nothing in a portrait is a matter of indifference. Gesture, grimace, clothing, decor even - all must combine to realize a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/nothing-in-a-portrait-is-a-matter-of-indifference-gesture-grimace/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [My early childhood equipped me really well for my portrait work: The quick encounter, where you are not going to know the subject for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-early-childhood-equipped-me-really-well-for-my-portrait-work-the/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-steichen/a-portrait-is-not-made-in-the-camera-but-on-either-side-of-it/) [Edward Steichen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-steichen/) > [Life is a series of family photos in which you keep moving to the rear until finally you're a portrait in the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/life-is-a-series-of-family-photos-in-which-you-keep-moving-to-the/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Portrait painters' mission is to portray people and the beauty of Creation. They should stay clear of ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-babailov/portrait-painters-mission-is-to-portray-people-and-the-beauty-of/) [Igor Babailov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-babailov/) > [Eloquence is a painting of thought; and thus those who, after having painted it, add something more, make a picture instead of a portrait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/eloquence-is-a-painting-of-thought-and-thus-those-who-after-having/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [A portrait is a picture in which there is just a tiny little something not quite right about the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-singer-sargent/a-portrait-is-a-picture-in-which-there-is-just-a-tiny-little/) [John Singer Sargent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-singer-sargent/) > [Many times I see you as a portrait of torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-glass/many-times-i-see-you-as-a-portrait-of-torture/) [Ira Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-glass/) > [In a portrait, you always leave part of yourself behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/in-a-portrait-you-always-leave-part-of-yourself-behind/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Danny Fox > [I sometimes use music as way of getting back to a certain time, dredging up stuff from the past and putting it down on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/i-sometimes-use-music-as-way-of-getting-back-to-a-certain-time/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [A lot of my words come to me when I'm out and about as well, riding the bus or sat in the pub. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/a-lot-of-my-words-come-to-me-when-i-m-out-and-about-as-well-riding/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [I like to listen to a lot of classical music when I'm painting, the most simplistic stuff I can find. I like simple piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/i-like-to-listen-to-a-lot-of-classical-music-when-i-m-painting-the/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [I don't think of myself as a rebellious artist, a lot of people have said that about me because I came from Cornwall and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-rebellious-artist-a-lot-of-people-have/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [Other people's songs can inspire me, though - I always have music on when I'm painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/other-people-s-songs-can-inspire-me-though-i-always-have-music-on/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [Some of my work is very instinctive, some of my favourite things I've ever done are just two minute sketches, nothing is better when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/some-of-my-work-is-very-instinctive-some-of-my-favourite-things-i-ve/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [Women really like the horses, more so than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/women-really-like-the-horses-more-so-than-men/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [Sometimes I just want to sit and write at a clean table and not get paint all over my hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/sometimes-i-just-want-to-sit-and-write-at-a-clean-table-and-not-get/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [The spirit of a painting is very hard to explain and articulate. I can't say it's not intentional because that is the mark I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/the-spirit-of-a-painting-is-very-hard-to-explain-and-articulate-i-can/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [I have no way of knowing what you are going to feel when you look at one of my paintings; I only know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/i-have-no-way-of-knowing-what-you-are-going-to-feel-when-you-look-at/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [To make music I rely on other people, which is good - that's the main difference in painting and music at this stage. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/to-make-music-i-rely-on-other-people-which-is-good-that-s-the-main/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [Painting can be like poetry but as somebody who creates both I feel the necessity for both so they cant be that similar. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/painting-can-be-like-poetry-but-as-somebody-who-creates-both-i-feel/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [I don't really need to be inspired by literature though. At the end of the day it's colour and imagery moved around until it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/i-don-t-really-need-to-be-inspired-by-literature-though-at-the-end-of/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [Painting is a solitary act for me; I don't need anyone around to make paintings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/painting-is-a-solitary-act-for-me-i-don-t-need-anyone-around-to-make/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) > [I used to use a lot of words in the paintings but stopped because it created a narrative - or an answer to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/i-used-to-use-a-lot-of-words-in-the-paintings-but-stopped-because-it/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) [Explore all 16 Danny Fox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can see a world within a portrait I would be happy with that. I don't want to tell the story with a painting, though. I'm trying to get away from the story- from the beginning and the ending.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Danny Fox" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait-i-would-be-happy-with-that-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait-i-would-be-happy-with-that-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/danny-fox-31550_get-away_if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait_1707699.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/danny-fox-31550_get-away_if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait_1707699.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/danny-fox-31550_get-away_if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait_1707699.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can see a world within a portrait I would be happy with that. I don't want to tell the story with a…” — Danny Fox", "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": "Danny Fox", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can see a world...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait-i-would-be-happy-with-that-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/if-you-can-see-a-world-within-a-portrait-i-would-be-happy-with-that-i/#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 } } ] } ```