--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The photograph is the only picture that…" description: "\"The photograph is the only picture that can truly convey information, even if it is technically faulty and the object can barely be identified. A paint..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/gerhard-richter-2249_ifs_the-photograph-is-the-only-picture-that_104073.jpg" --- # The photograph is the only picture that can truly convey… ![“The photograph is the only picture that can truly convey information, even if it is technically faulty and the object can barely be identified. A painting of a murder is of no interest whatever; but a photograph of a murder fascinates everyone.” quote by Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/gerhard-richter-2249_ifs_the-photograph-is-the-only-picture-that_104073.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/gerhard-richter-2249_ifs_the-photograph-is-the-only-picture-that_104073.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/gerhard-richter-2249_ifs_the-photograph-is-the-only-picture-that_104073.jpg) > “The photograph is the only picture that can truly convey information, even if it is technically faulty and the object can barely be identified. A painting of a murder is of no interest whatever; but a photograph of a murder fascinates everyone.” [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that photographs, despite technical flaws, convey factual reality more directly than paintings, especially when depicting violent scenes, which captivate viewers. **In simple terms:** Photos capture reality better than paintings, even if imperfect. Key Takeaway Visual truth is perceived as more immediate in photography. Themes visual art photography reality mortality media Mood analytical curious Type artistic critical When to use this quote - news reporting - crime documentaries - art exhibitions contrasting media Key Concepts ontological authenticity spectatorship Practical Applications - using photography for forensic documentation - educational curricula on media literacy Questions to Reflect On - How does medium shape our perception of truth? - When might a painting convey deeper meaning than a photograph? A Different Perspective The claim overlooks artistic intent; paintings can evoke truths beyond literal representation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) ## Related quotes > [PHOTOGRAPH, n. A picture painted by the sun without instruction in art. It is a little better than the work of an Apache, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/photograph-n-a-picture-painted-by-the-sun-without-instruction-in-art/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [A photograph is a photograph, a picture, an image, an illusion complete within itself, depending neither on words, reproductive processes or anything else for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/a-photograph-is-a-photograph-a-picture-an-image-an-illusion-complete/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [For me, what was important was to record everything I saw around me, and to do this as methodically as possible. In these circumstances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfredo-jaar/for-me-what-was-important-was-to-record-everything-i-saw-around-me/) [Alfredo Jaar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfredo-jaar/) > [The photograph... is not a picture of something, but is an object about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-heinecken/the-photograph-is-not-a-picture-of-something-but-is-an-object-about/) [Robert Heinecken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-heinecken/) > [Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/photograph-a-picture-painted-by-the-sun-without-instruction-in-art/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [We regard the photograph, the picture on our wall, as the object itself (the man, landscape, and so on) depicted there. This need not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/we-regard-the-photograph-the-picture-on-our-wall-as-the-object-itself/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [But it is also untrue that I have nothing specific in mind. As with my landscapes: I see countless landscapes, photograph barely 1 in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/but-it-is-also-untrue-that-i-have-nothing-specific-in-mind-as-with-my/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [All photographs are far more important than any painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/all-photographs-are-far-more-important-than-any-painting/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [A work of art is itself an object, first of all, and so manipulation is unavoidable: it's a prerequisite. But I needed the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/a-work-of-art-is-itself-an-object-first-of-all-and-so-manipulation-is/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [As far as the surface is concerned - oil on canvas, conventionally applied - my pictures have little to do with the original photograph.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/as-far-as-the-surface-is-concerned-oil-on-canvas-conventionally/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [“Murder develops. Yes, like a photograph, isn't it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/murder-develops-yes-like-a-photograph-isn-t-it/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [I started shooting for 'Photograph' right after 'Dangal' so, it's really special for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanya-malhotra/i-started-shooting-for-photograph-right-after-dangal-so-it-s-really/) [Sanya Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanya-malhotra/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) ## More by Gerhard Richter > [Art shows us how to see things that are constructive and good, and to be an active part of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/art-shows-us-how-to-see-things-that-are-constructive-and-good-and-to/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [They are specific places I have discovered here and there when I am on the road to take photos. I go especially to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/they-are-specific-places-i-have-discovered-here-and-there-when-i-am/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [To me, grey is the welcome and only possible equivalent for indifference, noncommitment, absence of opinion, absence of shape. But grey, like formlessness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/to-me-grey-is-the-welcome-and-only-possible-equivalent-for/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [Now that we do not have priests and philosophers any more, artists are the most important people in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/now-that-we-do-not-have-priests-and-philosophers-any-more-artists-are/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [Yes, we were amazed when that happened. It was a real joke to us. Konrad Lueg and I did a Happening, and we used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/yes-we-were-amazed-when-that-happened-it-was-a-real-joke-to-us-konrad/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [A work of art is itself an object, first of all, and so manipulation is unavoidable: it's a prerequisite. But I needed the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/a-work-of-art-is-itself-an-object-first-of-all-and-so-manipulation-is/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [Perhaps the choice is a negative one, in that I was trying to avoid everything that touched on well-known issues - or any issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/perhaps-the-choice-is-a-negative-one-in-that-i-was-trying-to-avoid/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [Gray is the color... the most important of all... absent of opinion, nothing, neither/nor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/gray-is-the-color-the-most-important-of-all-absent-of-opinion-nothing/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [All photographs are far more important than any painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/all-photographs-are-far-more-important-than-any-painting/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [You can compare it to dreams: you have a very specific and individual pictorial language that you either accept or that you can translate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/you-can-compare-it-to-dreams-you-have-a-very-specific-and-individual/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [What attracted me about my mirrors was the idea of having nothing manipulated in them. A piece of bought mirror. Just hung there, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/what-attracted-me-about-my-mirrors-was-the-idea-of-having-nothing/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [But it is also untrue that I have nothing specific in mind. As with my landscapes: I see countless landscapes, photograph barely 1 in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/but-it-is-also-untrue-that-i-have-nothing-specific-in-mind-as-with-my/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [My landscapes are not only beautiful or nostalgic, with a Romantic or classical suggestion of lost Paradises, but above all 'untruthful'...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/my-landscapes-are-not-only-beautiful-or-nostalgic-with-a-romantic-or/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [I have always been structured. What has changed is the proportions. Now it is eight hours of paperwork and one of painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/i-have-always-been-structured-what-has-changed-is-the-proportions-now/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [The smudging makes the paintings a bit more complete. When they're not blurred, so many details seem wrong, and the whole thing is wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/the-smudging-makes-the-paintings-a-bit-more-complete-when-they-re-not/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) [Explore all 176 Gerhard Richter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. 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If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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