--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I love the art history ones because it's…" description: "\"I love the art history ones because it's so little work for me. There's so many paintings that when I look at them, the look on the lady's face is like..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e1/mallory-ortberg-7200_art_i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s_433803.jpg" --- # I love the art history ones because it's so little work… ![“I love the art history ones because it's so little work for me. There's so many paintings that when I look at them, the look on the lady's face is like so clear and her body language and her posture or their physical situation is so immediately recognizable. Anyone who's been in a conversation…” quote by Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e1/mallory-ortberg-7200_art_i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s_433803.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e1/mallory-ortberg-7200_art_i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s_433803.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e1/mallory-ortberg-7200_art_i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s_433803.jpg) > “I love the art history ones because it's so little work for me. There's so many paintings that when I look at them, the look on the lady's face is like so clear and her body language and her posture or their physical situation is so immediately recognizable. Anyone who's been in a conversation they didn't want to have, or been getting harangued by a little kid they didn't want to pay attention to or been tired and wanted to go to bed is just like, "Yes, of course."” [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) ## 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 interpret visual cues easily, but verbal or unwanted conversations feel forced and draining, leading to automatic compliance. **In simple terms:** Visual cues are clear; unwanted talk feels forced. Key Takeaway Recognize and set boundaries in draining talks. Themes communication boundaries social dynamics Mood frustrated observant Type advice reflective When to use this quote - meetings - parent‑child interactions - social media - customer service Key Concepts sociology cognitive load Questions to Reflect On - When do you say “yes” without wanting to? - How can you politely decline? A Different Perspective Boundaries can be hard to enforce without conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-history/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Body language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-language/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Little kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-kid/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Paintings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paintings/) [Posture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posture/) ## Related quotes > [If I physically made every work myself, I would get only one or two paintings done a year, if that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/if-i-physically-made-every-work-myself-i-would-get-only-one-or-two/) [Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/) > [Lot's and lot's I am a proud man having so many fans of my work: (Paintings and films)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-six/lot-s-and-lot-s-i-am-a-proud-man-having-so-many-fans-of-my-work/) [Tom Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-six/) > [I have a studio in the country - in the woods - but my paintings look more real to me than what is outdoors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-guston/i-have-a-studio-in-the-country-in-the-woods-but-my-paintings-look/) [Philip Guston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-guston/) > [I like all paintings. I always look at the paintings, good or bad, in barbershops, furniture stores, provincial hotels. I'm like a drinker who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/i-like-all-paintings-i-always-look-at-the-paintings-good-or-bad-in/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [I see paintings everywhere. I look at stuff and it looks like painting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-see-paintings-everywhere-i-look-at-stuff-and-it-looks-like-painting/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [I want to make paintings that look as if they were made by a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-michel-basquiat/i-want-to-make-paintings-that-look-as-if-they-were-made-by-a-child/) [Jean-Michel Basquiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-michel-basquiat/) > [You don't talk about paintings, you look at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-auguste-renoir/you-don-t-talk-about-paintings-you-look-at-them/) [Pierre-Auguste Renoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-auguste-renoir/) > [I really admire paintings that look like an actual snapshot - I think that's just extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/i-really-admire-paintings-that-look-like-an-actual-snapshot-i-think/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [Art is challenging and frustrating but I don't linger in it. I work on five paintings at a time so if I'm frustrated I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bateman/art-is-challenging-and-frustrating-but-i-don-t-linger-in-it-i-work-on/) [Robert Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bateman/) > [I love art, in particular, paintings. I have, well, a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domenico-dolce/i-love-art-in-particular-paintings-i-have-well-a-lot/) [Domenico Dolce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domenico-dolce/) > [I love it when people come in my house and ask for my paintings off the wall, and I have to tell them that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-dream/i-love-it-when-people-come-in-my-house-and-ask-for-my-paintings-off/) [The-Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-dream/) > [“In 1969, both John and I began job hunting. I had finished my second master’s degree and started sending out resumes. I got several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-m-o-connor/in-1969-both-john-and-i-began-job-hunting-i-had-finished-my-second/) [Mallory M. O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-m-o-connor/) > [I have a fondness for making paintings that go beyond just having a conversation about art for art's sake or having a conversation about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/i-have-a-fondness-for-making-paintings-that-go-beyond-just-having-a/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [I believe in originality, primarily. However, it's important to know what there has been before to aim in that direction. Art history informs us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/i-believe-in-originality-primarily-however-it-s-important-to-know/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [A photo is like a map, a way of giving me a foot into a kind of reality I want... I'm not trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-doig/a-photo-is-like-a-map-a-way-of-giving-me-a-foot-into-a-kind-of/) [Peter Doig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-doig/) ## More by Mallory Ortberg > [Not wanting to give everyone in your life one of your kidneys is not the same thing as hoping they die of kidney failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/not-wanting-to-give-everyone-in-your-life-one-of-your-kidneys-is-not/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I agree that biphobia is real, but I think it's absolutely worth considering that someone who "despises" having sex with her husband - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-agree-that-biphobia-is-real-but-i-think-it-s-absolutely-worth/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [If you get a dog, take care of your dog! You can just not have a dog if you don't feel like taking care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/if-you-get-a-dog-take-care-of-your-dog-you-can-just-not-have-a-dog-if/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [It is so tempting to return rudeness with rudeness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/it-is-so-tempting-to-return-rudeness-with-rudeness/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [I think that it's a great idea to have honest conversations about children before getting married. I also think it's impossible to promise someone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-think-that-it-s-a-great-idea-to-have-honest-conversations-about/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Don't beat yourself up over what you dream about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/don-t-beat-yourself-up-over-what-you-dream-about/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [One of the glorious things about being a person in the world is that you don't have to worry about whether or not someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/one-of-the-glorious-things-about-being-a-person-in-the-world-is-that/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [You need to be able to express your resentment and sense of loss in a way that doesn't damage your partner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-need-to-be-able-to-express-your-resentment-and-sense-of-loss-in-a/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Some people give gifts in order to bewilder, confuse, and manipulate their recipients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/some-people-give-gifts-in-order-to-bewilder-confuse-and-manipulate/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [Unlike celibacy, which people choose, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/unlike-celibacy-which-people-choose-asexuality-is-an-intrinsic-part/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [The mere idea of asking a family member if they intentionally stopped sending me an annual bonus makes me feel like breaking out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/the-mere-idea-of-asking-a-family-member-if-they-intentionally-stopped/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [You have a right to be treated professionally at work, and it's your supervisor's job to make sure all their employees can perform their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-have-a-right-to-be-treated-professionally-at-work-and-it-s-your/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [We are all going to die, sometimes even in the middle of a lease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/we-are-all-going-to-die-sometimes-even-in-the-middle-of-a-lease/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [o one is right when it comes to destination weddings. It’s a big ask, requesting people take time off work and fly off to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/o-one-is-right-when-it-comes-to-destination-weddings-it-s-a-big-ask/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [You have a wonderful opportunity here to not care about something that doesn’t matter to you. Please don’t miss out on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-have-a-wonderful-opportunity-here-to-not-care-about-something/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) [Explore all 93 Mallory Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) ## More Art quotes > [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/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [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/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“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 > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [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 only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [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/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I love the art history ones because it's so little work for me. There's so many paintings that when I look at them, the look on the lady's face is like so clear and her body language and her posture or their physical situation is so immediately recognizable. Anyone who's been in a conversation they didn't want to have, or been getting harangued by a little kid they didn't want to pay attention to or been tired and wanted to go to bed is just like, \"Yes, of course.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mallory Ortberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s-so-little-work-for-me-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s-so-little-work-for-me-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e1/mallory-ortberg-7200_art_i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s_433803.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e1/mallory-ortberg-7200_art_i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s_433803.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e1/mallory-ortberg-7200_art_i-love-the-art-history-ones-because-it-s_433803.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I love the art history ones because it's so little work for me. 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