--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Certainly we have bad paintings. We have…" description: "\"Certainly we have bad paintings. We have only the greatest bad paintings.\" — Francoise Cachin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b93/francoise-cachin-238009_painting_certainly-we-have-bad-paintings-we-have_2039945.jpg" --- # Certainly we have bad paintings. We have only the greatest… ![“Certainly we have bad paintings. We have only the greatest bad paintings.” quote by Francoise Cachin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b93/francoise-cachin-238009_painting_certainly-we-have-bad-paintings-we-have_2039945.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b93/francoise-cachin-238009_painting_certainly-we-have-bad-paintings-we-have_2039945.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b93/francoise-cachin-238009_painting_certainly-we-have-bad-paintings-we-have_2039945.jpg) > “Certainly we have bad paintings. We have only the greatest bad paintings.” [Francoise Cachin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-cachin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even the worst paintings can achieve greatness, highlighting the paradox of value in art. **In simple terms:** Bad art can be great. Key Takeaway Appreciate paradoxes in artistic value. Themes art value paradox criticism Mood thoughtful analytical Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - museum curation - art education - collecting Key Concepts aesthetic judgment cultural value subjectivity Questions to Reflect On - What makes a 'bad' painting valuable? - How does criticism shape artistic reputation? A Different Perspective Greatness may be subjective and contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Bad Paintings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-paintings-1796652/) [Certainly Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly-bad-3791921/) [Greatest Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-bad-2558778/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Paintings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paintings/) [Paintings Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paintings-greatest-3791920/) ## Related quotes > [What is bad painting? Picabia made some deliberately bad paintings, but they were by him, so great in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-doig/what-is-bad-painting-picabia-made-some-deliberately-bad-paintings-but/) [Peter Doig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-doig/) > [The thing I'm obsessed with is really great bad paintings. I have a storage locker full of them and I want to give them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coolidge/the-thing-i-m-obsessed-with-is-really-great-bad-paintings-i-have-a/) [Jennifer Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coolidge/) > [Kitsch is certainly not "bad art," it forms its own closed system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-broch/kitsch-is-certainly-not-bad-art-it-forms-its-own-closed-system/) [Hermann Broch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-broch/) > [I'm the greatest, I'm a bad man, and I'm pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-the-greatest-i-m-a-bad-man-and-i-m-pretty/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber is the greatest bad guy in a movie ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-barinholtz/alan-rickman-s-hans-gruber-is-the-greatest-bad-guy-in-a-movie-ever/) [Ike Barinholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-barinholtz/) > [I take this art very seriously and passionately. I love what I do. You can't help but grow. That's not to say you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-meloni/i-take-this-art-very-seriously-and-passionately-i-love-what-i-do-you/) [Christopher Meloni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-meloni/) > [I have a storage unit, as I moved out of a bigger house into a smaller house in L.A. I put all my stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coolidge/i-have-a-storage-unit-as-i-moved-out-of-a-bigger-house-into-a-smaller/) [Jennifer Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coolidge/) > [It is better to have a good painting with ten holes than ten bad paintings without any holes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-munch/it-is-better-to-have-a-good-painting-with-ten-holes-than-ten-bad/) [Edvard Munch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-munch/) > [Let's look at people as artists and try to support them; just because Picasso painted a couple of bad paintings, that's no reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-guttenberg/let-s-look-at-people-as-artists-and-try-to-support-them-just-because/) [Steve Guttenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-guttenberg/) > [The air we see in the paintings of the old masters is never the air we breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-degas/the-air-we-see-in-the-paintings-of-the-old-masters-is-never-the-air/) [Edgar Degas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-degas/) > [It is easy to have a lot of paintings or projects hanging around that are 'almost done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kinkade/it-is-easy-to-have-a-lot-of-paintings-or-projects-hanging-around-that/) [Thomas Kinkade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kinkade/) > [In a way, my paintings are like my children. They have many possibilities in life. You tell them, 'I believe that you're good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-bisky/in-a-way-my-paintings-are-like-my-children-they-have-many/) [Norbert Bisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-bisky/) > [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 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": "Certainly we have bad paintings. 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