--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Flaubert believed that it was impossible…" description: "\"“Flaubert believed that it was impossible to explain one art form in terms of another, and that great paintings required no words of explanation. Braqu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff1/julian-barnes-522_art_flaubert-believed-that-it-was-impossible_393804.jpg" --- # Flaubert believed that it was impossible to explain one… ![“Flaubert believed that it was impossible to explain one art form in terms of another, and that great paintings required no words of explanation. Braque thought the ideal state would be reached when we said nothing at all in front of a painting. But we are very far from reaching that state. We…” quote by Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff1/julian-barnes-522_art_flaubert-believed-that-it-was-impossible_393804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff1/julian-barnes-522_art_flaubert-believed-that-it-was-impossible_393804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff1/julian-barnes-522_art_flaubert-believed-that-it-was-impossible_393804.jpg) > ““Flaubert believed that it was impossible to explain one art form in terms of another, and that great paintings required no words of explanation. Braque thought the ideal state would be reached when we said nothing at all in front of a painting. But we are very far from reaching that state. We remain incorrigibly verbal creatures who love to explain things, to form opinions, to argue. Put us in front of a picture and we chatter, each in our different way. Proust, when going round an art gallery, liked to comment on who the people in the pictures reminded him of in real life; which might have been a deft way of avoiding the direct aesethetic confrontation. But it is a rare picture that stuns, or argues, us into silence. And if one does, it is only a short time before we want to explain and understand the very silence into which we have been plunged.”” [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that humans are inherently verbal and tend to interpret visual art through language, making true silent contemplation of a painting rare and fleeting. **In simple terms:** People always try to explain art with words, preventing pure silence. Key Takeaway Embrace silence when viewing art. Themes art language interpretation silence human nature Mood contemplative introspective Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - gallery visits - art education - personal reflection - museum tours Key Concepts aesthetics verbalism contemplation Questions to Reflect On - How can we train ourselves to experience art without verbal analysis? - What does silence reveal about our relationship with visual media? A Different Perspective Some viewers may find silence uncomfortable or feel compelled to articulate thoughts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-form/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proust/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) ## Related quotes > [There will always be different opinions. 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