--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You don't buy a Picasso because you love…" description: "\"You don't buy a Picasso because you love the frame.\" — Joss Whedon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/joss-whedon-480_artist_you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love_2545030.png" --- # You don't buy a Picasso because you love the frame. ![“You don't buy a Picasso because you love the frame.” quote by Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/joss-whedon-480_artist_you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love_2545030.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/joss-whedon-480_artist_you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love_2545030.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/joss-whedon-480_artist_you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love_2545030.png) > “You don't buy a Picasso because you love the frame.” [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often buy status symbols for the prestige they convey, not for personal appreciation. **In simple terms:** Buy for love, not status. Key Takeaway Choose art that resonates, not just its fame. Themes materialism authenticity value Mood critical thoughtful Type cautionary insightful When to use this quote - collecting art - decorating home - gift giving Key Concepts consumerism aesthetics social signaling Questions to Reflect On - Do you own anything for its image? - What would you cherish without fame? A Different Perspective Focusing on external validation can diminish personal joy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Buy Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buy-picasso-1467349/) [Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frame/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-frame-1467351/) [Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picasso/) [Picasso Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picasso-love-1467350/) ## Related quotes > [If you want art, don't mess about with movies. Buy a Picasso.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-winner/if-you-want-art-don-t-mess-about-with-movies-buy-a-picasso/) [Michael Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-winner/) > [A family portrait is only complete with love to fill it's frame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/a-family-portrait-is-only-complete-with-love-to-fill-it-s-frame/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [My first gig ever was writing looplines for a movie that had already been made. You know, writing lines over somebody's back to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/my-first-gig-ever-was-writing-looplines-for-a-movie-that-had-already/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience-i-work-as-an-artist-and-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I think Picasso was, without doubt, the greatest portraitist of the 20th century, if not any other century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-think-picasso-was-without-doubt-the-greatest-portraitist-of-the/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [Picasso has been my inspiration, expressing himself in a hundred different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lyn-nelson/picasso-has-been-my-inspiration-expressing-himself-in-a-hundred/) [Robert Lyn Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lyn-nelson/) > [If I were writing about Picasso and pointed out that he painted women because he was interested in the female form, that would seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-solomon/if-i-were-writing-about-picasso-and-pointed-out-that-he-painted-women/) [Deborah Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-solomon/) > [Computers let people avoid people, going out to explore. It's so different to just open a website instead of looking at a Picasso in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raf-simons/computers-let-people-avoid-people-going-out-to-explore-it-s-so/) [Raf Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raf-simons/) > [Picasso said that no one has to explain a daffodil. Good design is understandable to virtually everybody. You never have to ask why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-newell-jacobsen/picasso-said-that-no-one-has-to-explain-a-daffodil-good-design-is/) [Hugh Newell Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-newell-jacobsen/) > [If they were starting their careers today, Rockwell and Picasso would probably both be painting on black velvet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/if-they-were-starting-their-careers-today-rockwell-and-picasso-would/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [People say, 'Oh, to be the daughter of Picasso!' But it's not as extravagant as it seems. He was very special, very vibrant, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-picasso/people-say-oh-to-be-the-daughter-of-picasso-but-it-s-not-as/) [Paloma Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-picasso/) > [“There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality. —Pablo Picasso”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-b-burger/there-is-no-abstract-art-you-must-always-start-with-something/) [Edward B. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-b-burger/) > [“It's like art, you know? Picasso had to prove to the world he can paint the right way, before he goes putting both eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/it-s-like-art-you-know-picasso-had-to-prove-to-the-world-he-can-paint/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Somebody was saying to Picasso that he ought to make pictures of things the way they are-objective pictures. He mumbled that he wasn't quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/somebody-was-saying-to-picasso-that-he-ought-to-make-pictures-of/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [“Where visual artists are concerned, the Baroque sculptor and architect Bernini and the painter and sculptor Picasso were clearly adept at both experiential and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-gallagher/where-visual-artists-are-concerned-the-baroque-sculptor-and-architect/) [Winifred Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-gallagher/) ## More by Joss Whedon > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Every vampire fiction reinvents vampires to its own needs. You take what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/every-vampire-fiction-reinvents-vampires-to-its-own-needs-you-take/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [When you're making a film, you have an obligation to fill the frame with life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/when-you-re-making-a-film-you-have-an-obligation-to-fill-the-frame/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Everything we do really is just a little marker on the long road to death. And sometimes that’s overwhelmingly depressing to me, and sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/everything-we-do-really-is-just-a-little-marker-on-the-long-road-to/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [At the end of the day I have many answers for it. It has to do with my mom, who was an extraordinary woman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/at-the-end-of-the-day-i-have-many-answers-for-it-it-has-to-do-with-my/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“Why aren’t you asking a hundred other guys why they don’t write strong women characters? I believe that what I’m doing should not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/why-aren-t-you-asking-a-hundred-other-guys-why-they-don-t-write/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [People feel removed from sexism. 'I'm not a sexist, but I'm not a feminist.' They think there's this fuzzy middle ground. There's no fuzzy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/people-feel-removed-from-sexism-i-m-not-a-sexist-but-i-m-not-a/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Even in the darkness, every color can be found. And every day of rain brings water flowing to things growing in the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/even-in-the-darkness-every-color-can-be-found-and-every-day-of-rain/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I never tire of the heroes that I knew growing up. The fun is not that much different from doing a television show: You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-never-tire-of-the-heroes-that-i-knew-growing-up-the-fun-is-not-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Don't just be yourself. Be all of your selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/don-t-just-be-yourself-be-all-of-your-selves/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I always watch what I say. I am what I say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-always-watch-what-i-say-i-am-what-i-say/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Remember to always be yourself. Unless you suck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/remember-to-always-be-yourself-unless-you-suck/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I've become less cynical, which is appalling but kind of cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-ve-become-less-cynical-which-is-appalling-but-kind-of-cool/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“Xander: It could be witches, some evil witches, which is ridiculous cause witched they were persecuted, women power, love the eatrh, and I'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/xander-it-could-be-witches-some-evil-witches-which-is-ridiculous/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [There's a lot of anger in the Twitter-verse, as I've discovered. But there's a lot of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/there-s-a-lot-of-anger-in-the-twitter-verse-as-i-ve-discovered-but/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) [Explore all 529 Joss Whedon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) ## 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": "You don't buy a Picasso because you love the frame.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joss Whedon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love-the-frame/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love-the-frame/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/joss-whedon-480_artist_you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love_2545030.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/joss-whedon-480_artist_you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love_2545030.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/joss-whedon-480_artist_you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love_2545030.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You don't buy a Picasso because you love the frame.” — Joss Whedon", "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": "Joss Whedon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You don't buy a Picasso because...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love-the-frame/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/you-don-t-buy-a-picasso-because-you-love-the-frame/#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 } } ] } ```