--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I suggested that it was not enough to add…" description: "\"I suggested that it was not enough to add a moustache to the Mona Lisa: it should simply be destroyed.\" — Pierre Boulez" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/pierre-boulez-30980_add_i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-ad_1682852.jpg" --- # I suggested that it was not enough to add a moustache to… ![“I suggested that it was not enough to add a moustache to the Mona Lisa: it should simply be destroyed.” quote by Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/pierre-boulez-30980_add_i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-ad_1682852.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/pierre-boulez-30980_add_i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-ad_1682852.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/pierre-boulez-30980_add_i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-ad_1682852.jpg) > “I suggested that it was not enough to add a moustache to the Mona Lisa: it should simply be destroyed.” [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artistic innovation may demand radical destruction of iconic works. **In simple terms:** Destroying icons can spark new creation. Key Takeaway Embrace bold transformation. Themes art innovation radicalism Mood provocative challenging Type philosophical controversial When to use this quote - gallery exhibit - artistic protest - design overhaul - conceptual art Key Concepts deconstruction creative destruction Questions to Reflect On - Is destroying art ever justified? - What new ideas emerge from such acts? A Different Perspective Destruction can alienate audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ## Related quotes > [The curious thing about that moustache and goatee is that when you look at the Mona Lisa it becomes a man. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-curious-thing-about-that-moustache-and-goatee-is-that-when-you/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [It is not enough to deface the Mona Lisa because that does not kill the Mona Lisa. All art of the past must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/it-is-not-enough-to-deface-the-mona-lisa-because-that-does-not-kill/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [“But is the Mona Lisa really art? Well then, what about an undetectably perfect copy of the Mona Lisa? That comparison (however sneaky) points…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-is-the-mona-lisa-really-art-well-then-what-about-an-undetectably/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [You should definitely visit the Louvre, a world-famous art museum where you can view, at close range, the backs of thousands of other tourists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-should-definitely-visit-the-louvre-a-world-famous-art-museum/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [When his eyes gazed upon her, he thought of Mona Lisa. All these suitors going by looking at beautiful objects until they came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-carlson/when-his-eyes-gazed-upon-her-he-thought-of-mona-lisa-all-these/) [Joseph Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-carlson/) > [. . . a jostling scrum of office buildings so mediocre that the only way you ever remember them is by the frustration they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/a-jostling-scrum-of-office-buildings-so-mediocre-that-the-only-way/) [Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/) > [How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas: 'The lady is smiling because she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/how-could-we-possibly-appreciate-the-mona-lisa-if-leonardo-had/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [What I am trying to say is that it is not without any value. The value of copies is that they can direct us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/what-i-am-trying-to-say-is-that-it-is-not-without-any-value-the-value/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [A lotta cats copy the Mona Lisa, but people still line up to see the original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/a-lotta-cats-copy-the-mona-lisa-but-people-still-line-up-to-see-the/) [Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/) > [“Like the famous lady in the frame (Mona Lisa), to many we remain a mystery”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-jenner/like-the-famous-lady-in-the-frame-mona-lisa-to-many-we-remain-a/) [Kris Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-jenner/) > [Inside the museum infinity goes up on trial. Voices echo, 'This is what salvation must be like after a while.' But Mona Lisa must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/inside-the-museum-infinity-goes-up-on-trial-voices-echo-this-is-what/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [You know, people call mystery novels or thrillers 'puzzles.' I never understood that, because when I buy a puzzle, I already know what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/you-know-people-call-mystery-novels-or-thrillers-puzzles-i-never/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [Too many people are worried about having results NOW...the Mona Lisa was not created in a day. Perfection takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-many-people-are-worried-about-having-results-now-the-mona-lisa/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“This is the Mona Lisa of bad diners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/this-is-the-mona-lisa-of-bad-diners/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [My favourite song of Elton's is... it's a tricky one for me. I'm a proper fan and I've probably seen him in concert about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lucas/my-favourite-song-of-elton-s-is-it-s-a-tricky-one-for-me-i-m-a-proper/) [Matt Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lucas/) ## More by Pierre Boulez > [For me, curiosity is life. If you are not curious, you are in your coffin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/for-me-curiosity-is-life-if-you-are-not-curious-you-are-in-your-coffin/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [The function of pop music is to be consumed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/the-function-of-pop-music-is-to-be-consumed/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [Music is a labyrinth with no beginning and no end, full of new paths to discover, where mystery remains eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/music-is-a-labyrinth-with-no-beginning-and-no-end-full-of-new-paths/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [We need to restore the spirit of irreverence in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/we-need-to-restore-the-spirit-of-irreverence-in-music/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [The aim of music is not to express feelings but to express music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/the-aim-of-music-is-not-to-express-feelings-but-to-express-music/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [Any musician who has not experienced - I do not say understood, but truly experienced - the necessity of dodecaphonic music is USELESS. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/any-musician-who-has-not-experienced-i-do-not-say-understood-but/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [Why compose works that have to be re-created every time they are performed? Because definitive, once-and-for-all developments seem no longer appropriate to musical thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/why-compose-works-that-have-to-be-re-created-every-time-they-are/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [More and more I find that in order to create effectively one has to consider delirium and, yes, organize it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/more-and-more-i-find-that-in-order-to-create-effectively-one-has-to/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [All art of the past must be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/all-art-of-the-past-must-be-destroyed/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [I shall be the first composer in history not to have a biography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/i-shall-be-the-first-composer-in-history-not-to-have-a-biography/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [It is not enough to deface the Mona Lisa because that does not kill the Mona Lisa. All art of the past must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/it-is-not-enough-to-deface-the-mona-lisa-because-that-does-not-kill/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [Creation exists only in the unforeseen made necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/creation-exists-only-in-the-unforeseen-made-necessary/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [Revolutions are celebrated when they are no longer dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/revolutions-are-celebrated-when-they-are-no-longer-dangerous/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [Music should be a collective magic and hysteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/music-should-be-a-collective-magic-and-hysteria/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [We have to fight the past to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/we-have-to-fight-the-past-to-survive/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) [Explore all 17 Pierre Boulez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) ## More Add quotes > [Most marriages don't add two people together. 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The well-adapted drop off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/a-modern-man-has-nothing-to-add-to-modernism-if-only-because-he-has/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Observation and theory get on best when they are mixed together, both helping one another in the pursuit of truth. It is a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/observation-and-theory-get-on-best-when-they-are-mixed-together-both/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Thirty days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit - like watching the news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cutts/thirty-days-is-just-about-the-right-amount-of-time-to-add-a-new-habit/) [Matt Cutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cutts/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The Greeks said grandly in their tragic phrase, 'Let no one be called happy till his death;' to which I would add, 'Let no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/the-greeks-said-grandly-in-their-tragic-phrase-let-no-one-be-called/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [Mostly we just add to the piles of rainbow glass that's been blown off the exteriors of the cany-colored buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/mostly-we-just-add-to-the-piles-of-rainbow-glass-that-s-been-blown/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Global is a unifying bond for people. Once they get outside their own heads and their own communities and see themselves in a broader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-calvin/global-is-a-unifying-bond-for-people-once-they-get-outside-their-own/) [Kathy Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-calvin/) Browse all 2,710 Add quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I suggested that it was not enough to add a moustache to the Mona Lisa: it should simply be destroyed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pierre Boulez" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-add-a-moustache-to-the-mona/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Add" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-add-a-moustache-to-the-mona/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/pierre-boulez-30980_add_i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-ad_1682852.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/pierre-boulez-30980_add_i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-ad_1682852.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/pierre-boulez-30980_add_i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-ad_1682852.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I suggested that it was not enough to add a moustache to the Mona Lisa: it should simply be destroyed.” — Pierre Boulez", "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": "Pierre Boulez", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I suggested that it was not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-add-a-moustache-to-the-mona/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/i-suggested-that-it-was-not-enough-to-add-a-moustache-to-the-mona/#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 } } ] } ```