--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a picture is worth a thousand words…" description: "\"If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address.\" — Leo Rosten" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/leo-rosten-9943_addresses_if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-p_3218527.jpg" --- # If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me… ![“If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address.” quote by Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/leo-rosten-9943_addresses_if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-p_3218527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/leo-rosten-9943_addresses_if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-p_3218527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/leo-rosten-9943_addresses_if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-p_3218527.jpg) > “If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address.” [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Calls for a vivid, visual retelling of a historic speech. **In simple terms:** Make history vivid through imagery. Key Takeaway Use creative expression to teach history. Themes history creativity communication Mood playful thoughtful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - Education - public speaking - media production - artistic reinterpretation Key Concepts Narrative techniques visual storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How can visual art convey nuanced history? - What benefits arise from creative reinterpretations? A Different Perspective Risk of oversimplifying complex ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addresses/) [Gettysburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gettysburg/) [Gettysburg address](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gettysburg-address/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paint/) [Paint Gettysburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paint-gettysburg-6042150/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Picture is worth a thousand words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Thousand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand/) [Thousand words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-words/) [Words Paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-paint-2764204/) ## Related quotes > [In a thousand words I can have the Lord's Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, the Hippocratic Oath, a sonnet by Shakespeare, the Preamble to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-h-williams/in-a-thousand-words-i-can-have-the-lord-s-prayer-the-23rd-psalm-the/) [Roy H. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-h-williams/) > [If a picture is worth a thousand words, in business, so is a number.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lynch/if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-in-business-so-is-a-number/) [Peter Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lynch/) > [A picture is worth a thousand words. An interface is worth a thousand pictures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shneiderman/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-an-interface-is-worth-a-thousand/) [Ben Shneiderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shneiderman/) > [A picture is worth a thousand words, but conversations with them generally end in dissapointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-but-conversations-with-them/) [Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/) > [i'm beginning to feel like this. caught the incredible sunshine just in the nick of time today on my walk. the wall of rain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-avedon/i-m-beginning-to-feel-like-this-caught-the-incredible-sunshine-just/) [Richard Avedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-avedon/) > [If a picture is worth a thousand words, photographers are worth a million.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-photographers-are-worth-a/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [A picture is worth a thousand words...and uses up a thousand times the memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-and-uses-up-a-thousand-times-the/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [One picture is worth a thousand words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/one-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There's that statement, "A picture is worth a thousand words" - well, I think flying around in Google Earth is worth a million words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-moore/there-s-that-statement-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-well-i/) [Rebecca Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-moore/) > [Whoever came up first with that saying a picture is worth a thousand words didn't understand the first thing about either one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/whoever-came-up-first-with-that-saying-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [it wasn't by accident that the Gettysburg address was so short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-wasn-t-by-accident-that-the-gettysburg-address-was-so-short/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett/i-should-be-glad-if-i-could-flatter-myself-that-i-came-as-near-the/) [Edward Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett/) > [But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/but-in-a-larger-sense-we-cannot-dedicate-we-cannot-consecrate-we/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/now-we-are-engaged-in-a-great-civil-war-testing-whether-that-nation/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was 272 words and he delivered it under three minutes. He labored on it for days. The "featured speaker," Edward Everett,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-herbert-donald/lincoln-s-gettysburg-address-was-272-words-and-he-delivered-it-under/) [David Herbert Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-herbert-donald/) ## More by Leo Rosten > [Truth is stranger than fiction; fiction has to make sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-fiction-has-to-make-sense/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [There was no answer, no solution, no sop, no deliverance. What, then, did I do? I read faster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/there-was-no-answer-no-solution-no-sop-no-deliverance-what-then-did-i/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [People say: idle curiosity. The one thing that curiosity cannot be is idle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/people-say-idle-curiosity-the-one-thing-that-curiosity-cannot-be-is/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [Everyone, in some small sacred sanctuary of the self, is nuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/everyone-in-some-small-sacred-sanctuary-of-the-self-is-nuts/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [ What's green, hangs on a wall and whistles? \[A Herring\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/what-s-green-hangs-on-a-wall-and-whistles-a-herring/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [Dogs are getting bigger, according to a leading dog manufacturer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/dogs-are-getting-bigger-according-to-a-leading-dog-manufacturer/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [Acting is a form of deception, and actors can mesmerize themselves almost as easily as an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/acting-is-a-form-of-deception-and-actors-can-mesmerize-themselves/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [Her cooking suggested she had attended the Cordon Noir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/her-cooking-suggested-she-had-attended-the-cordon-noir/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [“The purpose of life is not to be happy—but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/the-purpose-of-life-is-not-to-be-happy-but-to-matter-to-be-productive/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [For some not to be martyrs is martyrdom indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/for-some-not-to-be-martyrs-is-martyrdom-indeed/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [“Anybody who hates dogs and babies can't be all bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/anybody-who-hates-dogs-and-babies-can-t-be-all-bad/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [O, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the child we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/o-to-be-sure-we-laugh-less-and-play-less-and-wear-uncomfortable/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [Where was it ever promised us that life on this earth can ever be easy, free from conflict and uncertainty, devoid of anguish and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/where-was-it-ever-promised-us-that-life-on-this-earth-can-ever-be/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [First-rate people hire first-rate people; second-rate people hire third-rate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/first-rate-people-hire-first-rate-people-second-rate-people-hire/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [The purpose of life is not to be happy, the purpose of life is to matter..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/the-purpose-of-life-is-not-to-be-happy-the-purpose-of-life-is-to/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) [Explore all 69 Leo Rosten quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) ## More Addresses quotes > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... 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It acknowledges the reality that the evil we observe in the world is also present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-m-a-christian-because-christianity-names-and-addresses-sin-it/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [Each Act of Parliament intended to address harassment and discrimination has faced objections on the basis of 'you'll never be able to prove...' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/each-act-of-parliament-intended-to-address-harassment-and/) [Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/) > [The pleasures and the cares of the luckiest ambition, even of limitless power, are nothing next to the intimate happiness that tenderness and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/the-pleasures-and-the-cares-of-the-luckiest-ambition-even-of/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [You will find a spring by the dwelling of the dead, to the left. Next to it stands a white cypress. Do not approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustaw-herling-grudzinski/you-will-find-a-spring-by-the-dwelling-of-the-dead-to-the-left-next/) [Gustaw Herling-Grudzinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustaw-herling-grudzinski/) > [ \[T\]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between-man-and-man-ought-to-be-not/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Like a versatile baller, George Dohrmann swings seamlessly from position to position: investigative journalist, social critic, gifted storyteller. The result is a gem of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-jon-wertheim/like-a-versatile-baller-george-dohrmann-swings-seamlessly-from/) [L. Jon Wertheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-jon-wertheim/) > [Each email contains an unsubscribe link. We will NEVER sell, rent, loan, or abuse your email address in ANY way. Writing has been so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/each-email-contains-an-unsubscribe-link-we-will-never-sell-rent-loan/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [In science, address the few, in literature the many. In science, the few must dictate opinion to the many; in literature, the many, sooner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/in-science-address-the-few-in-literature-the-many-in-science-the-few/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [Pedestrian's rights - because we live in California, I've got to address this issue. 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There are many pressing challenges facing the international community, including the global financial crisis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-clark/senator-obama-will-be-taking-office-at-a-critical-juncture-there-are/) [Helen Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-clark/) [Browse all 1,100 Addresses quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addresses/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Rosten" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-please-paint-me-the-gettysburg/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Addresses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-please-paint-me-the-gettysburg/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/leo-rosten-9943_addresses_if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-p_3218527.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/leo-rosten-9943_addresses_if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-p_3218527.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/leo-rosten-9943_addresses_if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-p_3218527.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address.” — Leo Rosten", "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": "Leo Rosten", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If a picture is worth a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-please-paint-me-the-gettysburg/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-please-paint-me-the-gettysburg/#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 } } ] } ```