--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One must be of one's time and paint what…" description: "\"One must be of one's time and paint what one sees.\" — Edouard Manet" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/edouard-manet-20008_artist_one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what_1154830.png" --- # One must be of one's time and paint what one sees. ![“One must be of one's time and paint what one sees.” quote by Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/edouard-manet-20008_artist_one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what_1154830.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/edouard-manet-20008_artist_one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what_1154830.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/edouard-manet-20008_artist_one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what_1154830.png) > “One must be of one's time and paint what one sees.” [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates that artists should reflect their era and depict contemporary reality. **In simple terms:** Artists should paint their time. Key Takeaway Create art that mirrors current society. Themes art authenticity historical context Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - gallery exhibitions - public murals - educational curricula Key Concepts realism cultural reflection Questions to Reflect On - How can artists balance current events with enduring subjects? - What contemporary issues inspire you? A Different Perspective Risk of neglecting timeless themes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## 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/) > [I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-rockwell/i-ll-never-have-enough-time-to-paint-all-the-pictures-i-d-like-to/) [Norman Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-rockwell/) > [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/) > [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/) > [The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he sees nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-david-friedrich/the-painter-should-paint-not-only-what-he-has-in-front-of-him-but-2/) [Caspar David Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-david-friedrich/) > [A painter paints because he has no time not to paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/a-painter-paints-because-he-has-no-time-not-to-paint/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Like a bathroom singer, I am a closet artist, but you need time to paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/like-a-bathroom-singer-i-am-a-closet-artist-but-you-need-time-to-paint/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [Every work of art belongs to his time. I would not paint again the Mona Lisa in the third dimension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/every-work-of-art-belongs-to-his-time-i-would-not-paint-again-the/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [It really is a day job, and it also seems to have virtually disappeared-with no remorse, really. It gives me more time to paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/it-really-is-a-day-job-and-it-also-seems-to-have-virtually/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [I do Taekwondo and sometimes I paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-foy/i-do-taekwondo-and-sometimes-i-paint/) [Mackenzie Foy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-foy/) > [“We were poor, but we were happy. We didn’t have much, but we were painting. (Interview in Washington Mag)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfredo-arreguin/we-were-poor-but-we-were-happy-we-didn-t-have-much-but-we-were/) Alfredo Arreguin > [I used to want to be a writer or a painter, although I couldn't paint very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jisoo/i-used-to-want-to-be-a-writer-or-a-painter-although-i-couldn-t-paint/) [Jisoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jisoo/) > [The impulse to paint comes neither from observation nor from the soul (which is probably blind) but from an encounter: the encounter between painter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/the-impulse-to-paint-comes-neither-from-observation-nor-from-the-soul/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [If your life is full, you will paint full pictures. If it is empty, your pictures will be empty too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-dunn/if-your-life-is-full-you-will-paint-full-pictures-if-it-is-empty-your/) [Harvey Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-dunn/) > [No one can be a painter unless he cares for painting above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/no-one-can-be-a-painter-unless-he-cares-for-painting-above-all-else/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) ## More by Edouard Manet > [The attacks of which I have been the object have broken the spring of life in me... People don't realize what it feels like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/the-attacks-of-which-i-have-been-the-object-have-broken-the-spring-of/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [No one can be a painter unless he cares for painting above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/no-one-can-be-a-painter-unless-he-cares-for-painting-above-all-else/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [Conciseness in art is essential and a refinement. The concise man makes one think; the verbose bores. Always work towards conciseness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/conciseness-in-art-is-essential-and-a-refinement-the-concise-man/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [There's no symmetry in nature. One eye is never exactly the same as the other. There's always a difference. We all have a more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/there-s-no-symmetry-in-nature-one-eye-is-never-exactly-the-same-as/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [You must always remain master of the situation and do what you please. No school tasks, ah, no! no tasks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/you-must-always-remain-master-of-the-situation-and-do-what-you-please/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [You would hardly believe how difficult it is to place a figure alone on a canvas, and to concentrate all the interest on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/you-would-hardly-believe-how-difficult-it-is-to-place-a-figure-alone/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [Insults are pouring down on me as thick as hail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/insults-are-pouring-down-on-me-as-thick-as-hail/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [Every time I paint, I throw myself into the water in order to learn how to swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/every-time-i-paint-i-throw-myself-into-the-water-in-order-to-learn/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [Above all, keep your colors fresh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/above-all-keep-your-colors-fresh/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [The principal person in a picture is light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/the-principal-person-in-a-picture-is-light/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [The latest fashion… is absolutely necessary for a painting. It’s what matters most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/the-latest-fashion-is-absolutely-necessary-for-a-painting-it-s-what/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [Who is this Monet whose name sounds just like mine and who is taking advantage of my notoriety?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/who-is-this-monet-whose-name-sounds-just-like-mine-and-who-is-taking/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [I paint as I feel like painting; to hell with all their studies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/i-paint-as-i-feel-like-painting-to-hell-with-all-their-studies/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [There is only one true thing: instantly paint what you see. When you've got it, you've got it. When you haven't, you begin again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/there-is-only-one-true-thing-instantly-paint-what-you-see-when-you-ve/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) > [Black is not a color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/black-is-not-a-color/) [Edouard Manet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) [Explore all 31 Edouard Manet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/) ## 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": "One must be of one's time and paint what one sees.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edouard Manet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what-one-sees/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what-one-sees/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/edouard-manet-20008_artist_one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what_1154830.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/edouard-manet-20008_artist_one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what_1154830.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/edouard-manet-20008_artist_one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what_1154830.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One must be of one's time and paint what one sees.” — Edouard Manet", "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": "Edouard Manet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-manet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One must be of one's time...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what-one-sees/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-manet/one-must-be-of-one-s-time-and-paint-what-one-sees/#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 } } ] } ```