--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All my life I have painted pictures so…" description: "\"All my life I have painted pictures so that certain people would drop dead when they looked at them, but I have not succeeded yet. The worst painting c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d1/man-ray-12681_artist_all-my-life-i-have-painted-pictures-so-t_581159.jpg" --- # All my life I have painted pictures so that certain people… ![“All my life I have painted pictures so that certain people would drop dead when they looked at them, but I have not succeeded yet. The worst painting cant hurt you, but a bad driver can kill you, a bad judge can send you to the chair, a bad politician can ruin an entire country, That is why even a…” quote by Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d1/man-ray-12681_artist_all-my-life-i-have-painted-pictures-so-t_581159.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d1/man-ray-12681_artist_all-my-life-i-have-painted-pictures-so-t_581159.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d1/man-ray-12681_artist_all-my-life-i-have-painted-pictures-so-t_581159.jpg) > “All my life I have painted pictures so that certain people would drop dead when they looked at them, but I have not succeeded yet. The worst painting cant hurt you, but a bad driver can kill you, a bad judge can send you to the chair, a bad politician can ruin an entire country, That is why even a bad painting is sacred.” [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) ## 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 sat that even a mediocre artwork holds value because it reminds us that worse things—like reckless drivers or corrupt officials—can cause real harm, so the painting’s failure is still sacred. **In simple terms:** Even bad art matters because worse things exist. Key Takeaway Respect all creations, even imperfect ones. Themes art value danger society humility Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - gallery exhibition - art criticism - public policy debates - personal reflection Key Concepts aesthetic philosophy ethical relativism symbolism Questions to Reflect On - What makes a bad painting “sacred”? - Can art truly counteract societal dangers? A Different Perspective It may overstate the moral weight of art versus tangible harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Bad Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-painting-963744/) [Cant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cant/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Chairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chairs/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Drivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drivers/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Painted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-painted-2671412/) [Painted Pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painted-pictures-264830/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Painting Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting-hurt-4776857/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-painting-4776858/) ## Related quotes > [A face painted in a picture gives a pitiful parody of life. . . but a painted surface lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazimir-malevich/a-face-painted-in-a-picture-gives-a-pitiful-parody-of-life-but-a/) [Kazimir Malevich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazimir-malevich/) > [“For there is a life there, and in destiny and romance there is no room for life. Painted as they are with broad brush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-dryden/for-there-is-a-life-there-and-in-destiny-and-romance-there-is-no-room/) [Ken Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-dryden/) > [Paintings, like dreams, have a life of their own and I have always painted very much the way I dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonor-fini/paintings-like-dreams-have-a-life-of-their-own-and-i-have-always/) [Leonor Fini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonor-fini/) > [What is bad painting? Picabia made some deliberately bad paintings, but they were by him, so great in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-doig/what-is-bad-painting-picabia-made-some-deliberately-bad-paintings-but/) [Peter Doig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-doig/) > [I've always painted pictures in which human love floods my colors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-chagall/i-ve-always-painted-pictures-in-which-human-love-floods-my-colors/) [Marc Chagall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-chagall/) > [He made his colours, built his stretchers, plastered his canvas, painted his pictures, carpentered his frames, and painted them. 'Too bad I can't buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-stone/he-made-his-colours-built-his-stretchers-plastered-his-canvas-painted/) [Irving Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-stone/) > [Do I need fifty finger-painted pictures by my toddler, or is one enough to capture this time of life? Mementos work best when they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/do-i-need-fifty-finger-painted-pictures-by-my-toddler-or-is-one/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“There is often as much sincerity, labour, and thought in bad painting as in good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/there-is-often-as-much-sincerity-labour-and-thought-in-bad-painting/) [Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) > [No one purposefully paints a bad painting. It's someone who's trying to do a good painting, but it's terrible. I have one with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coolidge/no-one-purposefully-paints-a-bad-painting-it-s-someone-who-s-trying/) [Jennifer Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coolidge/) > [Im bad at painting may nails. lol :D there good tho :\*](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shhisters/im-bad-at-painting-may-nails-lol-d-there-good-tho/) [Shhisters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shhisters/) > [“I have always painted pictures where human love floods my colors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-chagall/i-have-always-painted-pictures-where-human-love-floods-my-colors/) [Marc Chagall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-chagall/) > [I would go to different production houses everyday for auditions and they would reject me saying you cant talk, smile, dance, or act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-tamboli/i-would-go-to-different-production-houses-everyday-for-auditions-and/) [Nikki Tamboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-tamboli/) > [Be comfortable; be you. Whats most important is to understand what suits your body type and personality. Stick to that, and you cant go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/be-comfortable-be-you-whats-most-important-is-to-understand-what/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [When we fall utterly, something gathers us up. But our falling must be without reservation, without expectation, without hope, though not hopeless. You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) ## More by Man Ray > [All critics should be assassinated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/all-critics-should-be-assassinated/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [Each one of us, in his timidity, has a limit beyond which he is outraged. It is inevitable that he who by concentrated application…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/each-one-of-us-in-his-timidity-has-a-limit-beyond-which-he-is/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [A camera alone does not make a picture. To make a picture you need a camera, a photographer and above all a subject. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/a-camera-alone-does-not-make-a-picture-to-make-a-picture-you-need-a/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/personally-i-have-always-preferred-inspiration-to-information/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [I believe in the relation between photography and music; And thats my inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/i-believe-in-the-relation-between-photography-and-music-and-thats-my/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [Just as I work with paints, brushes, and canvas, I work with the light, pieces of glass and chemistry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/just-as-i-work-with-paints-brushes-and-canvas-i-work-with-the-light/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [Lipstick is the red badge of courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/lipstick-is-the-red-badge-of-courage/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [Speaking of nudes, I have always had a great fondness for this subject, both in my paintings and in my photos, and I must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/speaking-of-nudes-i-have-always-had-a-great-fondness-for-this-subject/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [You don’t ask a writer what typewriter he uses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/you-don-t-ask-a-writer-what-typewriter-he-uses/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [I am not going to be dictated to by the size of the camera. I use everything from an 8 x 10 to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/i-am-not-going-to-be-dictated-to-by-the-size-of-the-camera-i-use/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [An original is a creation motivated by desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/an-original-is-a-creation-motivated-by-desire/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [Dada cannot live in New York. All New York is dada, and will not tolerate a rival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/dada-cannot-live-in-new-york-all-new-york-is-dada-and-will-not/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [Quote me as much as you like; as a matter of fact I don’t even mind if you misquote me !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/quote-me-as-much-as-you-like-as-a-matter-of-fact-i-don-t-even-mind-if/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [If I'd had the nerve, I'd have become a thief or a gangster, but since I didn't, I became a photographer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/if-i-d-had-the-nerve-i-d-have-become-a-thief-or-a-gangster-but-since/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) > [A creator needs only one enthusiast to justify him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/a-creator-needs-only-one-enthusiast-to-justify-him/) [Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) [Explore all 53 Man Ray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/) ## 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": "All my life I have painted pictures so that certain people would drop dead when they looked at them, but I have not succeeded yet. 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