--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes it is best to burn paintings…" description: "\"Sometimes it is best to burn paintings that just don't burn.\" — David Luiz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/david-luiz-4090_burning_sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-t_2058262.jpg" --- # Sometimes it is best to burn paintings that just don't burn. ![“Sometimes it is best to burn paintings that just don't burn.” quote by David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/david-luiz-4090_burning_sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-t_2058262.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/david-luiz-4090_burning_sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-t_2058262.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/david-luiz-4090_burning_sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-t_2058262.jpg) > “Sometimes it is best to burn paintings that just don't burn.” [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests that sometimes it’s better to destroy art that fails to ignite passion. **In simple terms:** Sometimes it’s best to burn unfulfilling paintings. Key Takeaway Know when to let go of unproductive work. Themes creativity destruction artistic standards Mood critical reflective Type creative philosophical When to use this quote - studio practice - project evaluation - mental health Key Concepts art criticism creative process Questions to Reflect On - When should an artist discard a work? - What are alternatives to destroying art? A Different Perspective None; destruction may be seen as wasteful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Paintings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paintings/) ## Related quotes > [The more successful paintings just fall off the brush. 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Just don't burn the paintings in the Louvre, that's all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/who-cares-kingdoms-rise-and-fall-just-don-t-burn-the-paintings-in-the/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [I think there has to be an interesting transformative process between your perception of reality and making the paintings. If you are just trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rothenberg/i-think-there-has-to-be-an-interesting-transformative-process-between/) [Susan Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rothenberg/) > [I need to see the original paintings just as little as I have to read the original manuscripts of books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/i-need-to-see-the-original-paintings-just-as-little-as-i-have-to-read/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [This morning I got up early and I was glazing the paintings and they just looked so beautiful. I had a private moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caio-fonseca/this-morning-i-got-up-early-and-i-was-glazing-the-paintings-and-they/) [Caio Fonseca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caio-fonseca/) > [I have an idea of a set of colors and see what I have. A lot of things, the best, more magical things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lurie/i-have-an-idea-of-a-set-of-colors-and-see-what-i-have-a-lot-of-things/) [John Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lurie/) > [The fire that is burning in my heart, I will spread that in the world ... if you get married, I will burn the era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-arya/the-fire-that-is-burning-in-my-heart-i-will-spread-that-in-the-world/) Prince Arya > [“and everything burned in blue, everything a star”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/and-everything-burned-in-blue-everything-a-star/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“The world has a very serious problem, my friend' Shiva went on. 'Poor children still die by their millions. Westerners and the global rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/the-world-has-a-very-serious-problem-my-friend-shiva-went-on-poor/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [“You will find your fire again. And on that day, it will burn like never before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/you-will-find-your-fire-again-and-on-that-day-it-will-burn-like-never/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [I want the paintings to take me or the viewer out somewhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-want-the-paintings-to-take-me-or-the-viewer-out-somewhere-else/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [I saw Frank Frazetta's art, and it seared on my memory. I love his paintings. They're so amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-momoa/i-saw-frank-frazetta-s-art-and-it-seared-on-my-memory-i-love-his/) [Jason Momoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-momoa/) > [“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/) ## More by David Luiz > [Yes, I love playing football, so it doesn't matter where I play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/yes-i-love-playing-football-so-it-doesn-t-matter-where-i-play/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [Sometimes when the strikers don't score, the pressure starts on them. They love to score goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/sometimes-when-the-strikers-don-t-score-the-pressure-starts-on-them/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [Eventually, the truth comes out in sport and in life. When you win, you're praised, and when you lose, you're criticized. That's normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/eventually-the-truth-comes-out-in-sport-and-in-life-when-you-win-you/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [I am not against freedom of speech, and I recognise the value of fair publication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/i-am-not-against-freedom-of-speech-and-i-recognise-the-value-of-fair/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [I can speak about me: I never want to be off the pitch; I never want to come off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/i-can-speak-about-me-i-never-want-to-be-off-the-pitch-i-never-want-to/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [I have a tremendous respect to all French Federation of Football football teams, players, and supporters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/i-have-a-tremendous-respect-to-all-french-federation-of-football/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [By creating instinctively in auto mode we can uncover our true motives, our creative drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/by-creating-instinctively-in-auto-mode-we-can-uncover-our-true/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [What I've learned in life is that you can't always win, especially in sport, but you can be a true champion for everything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/what-i-ve-learned-in-life-is-that-you-can-t-always-win-especially-in/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [I have played in big clubs for many, many years. When you win, it is good, but when you lose, nobody is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/i-have-played-in-big-clubs-for-many-many-years-when-you-win-it-is/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [I like to have fun, but there are moments you need to show yourself, and that, for me, is on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/i-like-to-have-fun-but-there-are-moments-you-need-to-show-yourself/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [Everything in life belongs to God. Our purpose has already been mapped out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/everything-in-life-belongs-to-god-our-purpose-has-already-been-mapped/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [To be born with a unique instinct, will demand 'unique duties'. If you didn't think about being an artist before 7 years of age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/to-be-born-with-a-unique-instinct-will-demand-unique-duties-if-you/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [I came back to Chelsea to stay. When I took my decision to come back here from Paris, it was to win the Premier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/i-came-back-to-chelsea-to-stay-when-i-took-my-decision-to-come-back/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [When I was young, I was a kid that never stopped. I wanted to do everything; a lot of energy. I didn't have this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/when-i-was-young-i-was-a-kid-that-never-stopped-i-wanted-to-do/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [My faith gives me the belief that I can go out and perform and improve as a player. It gives me strength and inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/my-faith-gives-me-the-belief-that-i-can-go-out-and-perform-and/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) [Explore all 116 David Luiz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) ## 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 > [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": "Sometimes it is best to burn paintings that just don't burn.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Luiz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-that-just-don-t-burn/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-that-just-don-t-burn/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/david-luiz-4090_burning_sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-t_2058262.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/david-luiz-4090_burning_sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-t_2058262.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/david-luiz-4090_burning_sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-t_2058262.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes it is best to burn paintings that just don't burn.” — David Luiz", "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": "David Luiz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes it is best to burn...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-that-just-don-t-burn/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/sometimes-it-is-best-to-burn-paintings-that-just-don-t-burn/#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 } } ] } ```