--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A painter must never be satisfied with…" description: "\"“A painter must never be satisfied with what he sees—painting reality means surrendering to it,”\" — Saša Stanišić" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/sa-a-stani-i-18570_artist_a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-w_1625278.jpg" --- # A painter must never be satisfied with what he… ![“A painter must never be satisfied with what he sees—painting reality means surrendering to it,” quote by Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/sa-a-stani-i-18570_artist_a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-w_1625278.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/sa-a-stani-i-18570_artist_a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-w_1625278.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/sa-a-stani-i-18570_artist_a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-w_1625278.jpg) > ““A painter must never be satisfied with what he sees—painting reality means surrendering to it,”” [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art demands continual surrender to reality, never settling for surface perception. **In simple terms:** Artists must keep seeking deeper truth. Key Takeaway Embrace ongoing curiosity. Themes creativity perception growth Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - painting - design - visual storytelling - creative problem solving Key Concepts existentialism artistic humility Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance observation with imagination? - When does surrender become complacency? A Different Perspective Surrender may limit personal style if over‑relied upon. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [Photography has almost no reality; it is almost a hundred per cent picture. And painting always has reality: you can touch the paint; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/photography-has-almost-no-reality-it-is-almost-a-hundred-per-cent/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [I know the world that I am painting is not a reality. It is a whim, an entertainment to provoke something in people, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-walker/i-know-the-world-that-i-am-painting-is-not-a-reality-it-is-a-whim-an/) [Tim Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-walker/) > [I am after painting reality impressed on the mind so hard that it returns as a dream, but I am not after painting dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-tooker/i-am-after-painting-reality-impressed-on-the-mind-so-hard-that-it/) George Tooker > [“I have a habit of painting reality with my dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/i-have-a-habit-of-painting-reality-with-my-dreams/) [Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/) > [Freedom is a very great reality, but it means above all things, freedom from lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/freedom-is-a-very-great-reality-but-it-means-above-all-things-freedom/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Words are inaccurate pointers to reality and should by no means be trusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/words-are-inaccurate-pointers-to-reality-and-should-by-no-means-be/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The reality is that if you want to be in a reality-based community, you've got to respect reality and that means calling it bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in-a-reality-based-community/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“The Real World' The real word doesn't take flight the way dreams do. No muffled voice, no doorbell can dispel it, no shriek, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wis-awa-szymborska/the-real-world-the-real-word-doesn-t-take-flight-the-way-dreams-do-no/) [Wisława Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wis-awa-szymborska/) > [Love is a striking example of how little reality means to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/love-is-a-striking-example-of-how-little-reality-means-to-us/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [For to dream and then to return to reality only means that our qualms suffer a change of place and significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidonie-gabrielle/for-to-dream-and-then-to-return-to-reality-only-means-that-our-qualms/) [Sidonie Gabrielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidonie-gabrielle/) > [Thinking is the desire to gain reality by means of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/thinking-is-the-desire-to-gain-reality-by-means-of-ideas/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [...words are the gateway to reality, the means by which we engage with the objective truth beyond ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pearce/words-are-the-gateway-to-reality-the-means-by-which-we-engage-with/) [Joseph Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pearce/) > [Reason and reality are the only means to just laws; mindless wishes, if given sovereignty, become deadly masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/reason-and-reality-are-the-only-means-to-just-laws-mindless-wishes-if/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Knowing reality means constructing systems of transformations that correspond, more or less adequately, to reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/knowing-reality-means-constructing-systems-of-transformations-that/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [“The attempt to understand reality apart from that action of God in and upon reality means living in anabstraction; it means failing to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-attempt-to-understand-reality-apart-from-that-action-of-god-in/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## More by Saša Stanišić > [“If only I were a magician who could make things possible. I'd give objects the gift of defiance: banisters, gramaphones, guns, the napes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/if-only-i-were-a-magician-who-could-make-things-possible-i-d-give/) [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [“The dead are lonelier than the living ever can be. They can't hear each other through coffins and the earth…When I die I'd like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/the-dead-are-lonelier-than-the-living-ever-can-be-they-can-t-hear/) [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [I just feel much more secure about whatever I write if I stand with one foot in reality - meaning if the stories I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/i-just-feel-much-more-secure-about-whatever-i-write-if-i-stand-with/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [The reason for writing that essay was less a personal agenda than an attempt to explain my unease with the general label of "immigrant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/the-reason-for-writing-that-essay-was-less-a-personal-agenda-than-an/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [Never too late to learn a language. And the good literature to come with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/never-too-late-to-learn-a-language-and-the-good-literature-to-come/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [“...someone ought to invent a tool, a kind of plane to shave the lies away from stories and deception away from memories. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/someone-ought-to-invent-a-tool-a-kind-of-plane-to-shave-the-lies-away/) [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [“If I were a magician who could make things possible, then pictures could talk while we painted them. If I were a magaician who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/if-i-were-a-magician-who-could-make-things-possible-then-pictures/) [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [For example, an author whose parents fled a war but he himself was born in the country where they fled to, and that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/for-example-an-author-whose-parents-fled-a-war-but-he-himself-was/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [Europe is not becoming more unified - well, yes, on paper - but not as long as the criteria for so many things (import…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/europe-is-not-becoming-more-unified-well-yes-on-paper-but-not-as-long/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [Something as radical as a war can only be understood (if at all) through the collaboration of journalists, academia, artists and, of course, people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/something-as-radical-as-a-war-can-only-be-understood-if-at-all/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [Given that the label "immigrant literature" is already established, unavoidable for anyone with a migrant background and used in any given context, I strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/given-that-the-label-immigrant-literature-is-already-established/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [“If I were a magician who could make things possible, I'd have lemonade always tasting as it did on the evening Francesco explained how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/if-i-were-a-magician-who-could-make-things-possible-i-d-have-lemonade/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [“The water can't turn back and choose another bed, just as promises now cannot be kept. No drowned man comes up again asking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/the-water-can-t-turn-back-and-choose-another-bed-just-as-promises-now/) [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [By trying to give an artistic approach through my book I stepped unwillingly into other fields. Like a dentist being asked about a throat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/by-trying-to-give-an-artistic-approach-through-my-book-i-stepped/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [“...there's not enough of anything to go around except people and death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/there-s-not-enough-of-anything-to-go-around-except-people-and-death/) [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) [Explore all 34 Saša Stanišić quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) ## 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 > [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": "“A painter must never be satisfied with what he sees—painting reality means surrendering to it,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saša Stanišić" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-what-he-sees-painting-reality/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-what-he-sees-painting-reality/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/sa-a-stani-i-18570_artist_a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-w_1625278.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/sa-a-stani-i-18570_artist_a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-w_1625278.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/sa-a-stani-i-18570_artist_a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-w_1625278.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A painter must never be satisfied with what he sees—painting reality means surrendering to it,” — Saša Stanišić", "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": "Saša Stanišić", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A painter must never be satisfied...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-what-he-sees-painting-reality/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-what-he-sees-painting-reality/#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 } } ] } ```