--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I look up at the painting. It's not even…" description: "\"“I look up at the painting. It's not even that interesting. Definitely doesn't grab me and shake my brain around like the meadow scene did.”\" — Stefan ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/stefan-bachmann-29325_affect_i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even_88112.jpg" --- # I look up at the painting. It's not even that interesting… ![“I look up at the painting. It's not even that interesting. Definitely doesn't grab me and shake my brain around like the meadow scene did.” quote by Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/stefan-bachmann-29325_affect_i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even_88112.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/stefan-bachmann-29325_affect_i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even_88112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/stefan-bachmann-29325_affect_i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even_88112.jpg) > ““I look up at the painting. It's not even that interesting. Definitely doesn't grab me and shake my brain around like the meadow scene did.”” [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker finds the new painting unremarkable compared to a previous work that evoked a strong emotional response. **In simple terms:** Contrast between dull and striking art Key Takeaway Impact varies by personal resonance Themes aesthetic judgment subjectivity memory comparison Mood contemplative disappointed Type personal observation art critique When to use this quote - gallery visit - art critique - personal reflection Key Concepts visual perception emotional engagement Practical Applications - curatorial selection - educational discussion Questions to Reflect On - What makes a work of art memorable? - How does prior experience shape perception? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Meadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meadow/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [“As I drift off, I try to imagine that world, somewhere in the future, with no Games, no Capitol. A place like the meadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/as-i-drift-off-i-try-to-imagine-that-world-somewhere-in-the-future/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [ “Now, though, that meadow scene is the first thing that comes back to me. \[...\] And yet, as clear as the scene may be,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/now-though-that-meadow-scene-is-the-first-thing-that-comes-back-to-me/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [It's not about perfection. What's a perfect painting? What's interesting about a perfect painting?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-doig/it-s-not-about-perfection-what-s-a-perfect-painting-what-s/) [Peter Doig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-doig/) > [Painting is very interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-waterston/painting-is-very-interesting/) [Sam Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-waterston/) > [Sometimes I will portray the more normal-looking people as the monsters and then the more distorted - "uniquely formed" is the word I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mars/sometimes-i-will-portray-the-more-normal-looking-people-as-the/) [Chris Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mars/) > [Painting becomes interesting when it becomes timeless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-doig/painting-becomes-interesting-when-it-becomes-timeless/) [Peter Doig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-doig/) > [“One way to look at a painting—and I use that word as shorthand for visual art in general—is to notice as you take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-salle/one-way-to-look-at-a-painting-and-i-use-that-word-as-shorthand-for/) [David Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-salle/) > [I think you do kind of slip into a trance when you look at a painting. At least I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bradley/i-think-you-do-kind-of-slip-into-a-trance-when-you-look-at-a-painting/) [Joe Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bradley/) > [Being in the studio, it's more of a controlled environment, where you can be Salvador Dali and sit back and look at the painting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zakk-wylde/being-in-the-studio-it-s-more-of-a-controlled-environment-where-you/) [Zakk Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zakk-wylde/) > [I think most people gain some sense of how to look at a painting, but no one ever teaches you how to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-think-most-people-gain-some-sense-of-how-to-look-at-a-painting-but/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [Sometimes you look at a painting and certain parts are so beautiful. You say, "Wow, this is fantastic," but 10 minutes later you most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chow/sometimes-you-look-at-a-painting-and-certain-parts-are-so-beautiful/) [Michael Chow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chow/) > [People look at film in a gallery, and if they walk out after two minutes they know they haven't seen the whole work. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-mehretu/people-look-at-film-in-a-gallery-and-if-they-walk-out-after-two/) [Julie Mehretu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-mehretu/) > [We look at a painting to know the painter; it's his company we are after, not his skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-whistler/we-look-at-a-painting-to-know-the-painter-it-s-his-company-we-are/) [James Whistler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-whistler/) > [The interesting thing is that in everyday life, I fail to see the most ordinary things. I often stumble and sometimes I even fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/the-interesting-thing-is-that-in-everyday-life-i-fail-to-see-the-most/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [I wanted to actually make people look at a painting. We don't look at paintings that much. We glance at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-webber/i-wanted-to-actually-make-people-look-at-a-painting-we-don-t-look-at/) [Peter Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-webber/) ## More by Stefan Bachmann > [“There's this special talent that humans have that they can be unhappy no matter where they are. But humans have another special talent: We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/there-s-this-special-talent-that-humans-have-that-they-can-be-unhappy/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“He wanted a faery. More than anything else in the world. He had already imagined exactly how it should happen. He would set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/he-wanted-a-faery-more-than-anything-else-in-the-world-he-had-already/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“A word could cause a riot, ink could spell a man’s death, and the Sidhe knew those weapons like the backs of their hands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/a-word-could-cause-a-riot-ink-could-spell-a-man-s-death-and-the-sidhe/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“Don’t get yourself noticed and you won’t get yourself hanged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/don-t-get-yourself-noticed-and-you-won-t-get-yourself-hanged/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“Pikey Thomas dreamed of plums and caramel apples the night the faery-with-the-peeling-face stole his right eye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/pikey-thomas-dreamed-of-plums-and-caramel-apples-the-night-the-faery/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“The Buddelbinsters, he’d heard them called. Once they’d had seven changeling children, and Bartholomew had seen them playing in the windows and the doorways.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/the-buddelbinsters-he-d-heard-them-called-once-they-d-had-seven/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“Maman, warum gehen wir nicht hinunter in den Palast? Wir brauchen doch nicht lange dortzubleiben, ganz bestimmt nicht. Was hat dich dort so erschreckt?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/maman-warum-gehen-wir-nicht-hinunter-in-den-palast-wir-brauchen-doch/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“What is this liking ? If you liked everything that happened to you, you would be quite the most feeble person. A thousand things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/what-is-this-liking-if-you-liked-everything-that-happened-to-you-you/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“She was too thin, her face all sharp bones and pale skin, tinged blue from lack of sunlight. Ugly, like him. Her eyes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/she-was-too-thin-her-face-all-sharp-bones-and-pale-skin-tinged-blue/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“A philosopher,' said Mrs. Cantanker, stalking across the study, black heels clicking, ruby silks whispering around her ankles, 'is one who attempts to capture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/a-philosopher-said-mrs-cantanker-stalking-across-the-study-black/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“But you will not spare a drop of pity because I am rich? We have death in our gilded courts, too. We have disease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/but-you-will-not-spare-a-drop-of-pity-because-i-am-rich-we-have-death/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“Once people see you cry, it's like they own part of you. It's like you ripped a hole in yourself, and they saw through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/once-people-see-you-cry-it-s-like-they-own-part-of-you-it-s-like-you/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“Arthur Jelliby was a very nice young man, which was perhaps the reason why he had never made much of a politician.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/arthur-jelliby-was-a-very-nice-young-man-which-was-perhaps-the-reason/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“The faery lady looked at Hettie curiously from beneath her wig. "You know..." she said, very softly. "All I wanted was that you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/the-faery-lady-looked-at-hettie-curiously-from-beneath-her-wig-you/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [“I can't even fathom myself from twenty-four hours ago. I was so busy following my rotten little heart, Disney princess-style. I did end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/i-can-t-even-fathom-myself-from-twenty-four-hours-ago-i-was-so-busy/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) [Explore all 18 Stefan Bachmann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) ## More Affect quotes > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [I almost always mess up. I fall too easily in love. I cry over boys. I'm not the prettiest girl you can find. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-almost-always-mess-up-i-fall-too-easily-in-love-i-cry-over-boys-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never let the opinion of another affect your opinion of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/never-let-the-opinion-of-another-affect-your-opinion-of-yourself/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [Everyone has those times when you feel like you don't fit in. Everyone struggles to a certain extent with being cool and popular, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-boldman/everyone-has-those-times-when-you-feel-like-you-don-t-fit-in-everyone/) [Spencer Boldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-boldman/) > [When you're not working, it does affect you. It destroys you if your film doesn't release.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoojit-sircar/when-you-re-not-working-it-does-affect-you-it-destroys-you-if-your/) [Shoojit Sircar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoojit-sircar/) > [I want to say that our shows are safer-spaces shows. Don't push anyone or affect anyone's space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hopkins/i-want-to-say-that-our-shows-are-safer-spaces-shows-don-t-push-anyone/) [Ben Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hopkins/) > [Geometric shapes hold an energy pattern, and scientists did some experiments which say certain geometric shapes can affect matter around them. It's simply because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/geometric-shapes-hold-an-energy-pattern-and-scientists-did-some/) [Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/) > [We live our whole lives, and in our dying moment, we have to ask ourselves, 'What did we really care about? What impact did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/we-live-our-whole-lives-and-in-our-dying-moment-we-have-to-ask/) [Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/) > [It's sad to see that something you have done or the decisions that you have made affect your children in a negative way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-anderson/it-s-sad-to-see-that-something-you-have-done-or-the-decisions-that/) [Pamela Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-anderson/) > [Sometimes, you feel like, 'Am I going to be upset about this as a black person or as a woman first? Or am I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-williams/sometimes-you-feel-like-am-i-going-to-be-upset-about-this-as-a-black/) [Jessica Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-williams/) > [Even the good things don't go to my head and I don't let the bad things affect me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo/even-the-good-things-don-t-go-to-my-head-and-i-don-t-let-the-bad/) [Marcelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo/) > [My job as a physician is to make sure I have provided my patients with the best options to make the decisions that affect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ami-bera/my-job-as-a-physician-is-to-make-sure-i-have-provided-my-patients/) [Ami Bera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ami-bera/) > [Every day, all of us at Gannett are given the rare and sacred opportunity to affect change for the good in the communities we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracia-martore/every-day-all-of-us-at-gannett-are-given-the-rare-and-sacred/) [Gracia Martore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracia-martore/) > [I work too hard to let something affect me that's already happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-carter-williams/i-work-too-hard-to-let-something-affect-me-that-s-already-happened/) [Michael Carter-Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-carter-williams/) Browse all 447 Affect quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I look up at the painting. It's not even that interesting. Definitely doesn't grab me and shake my brain around like the meadow scene did.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stefan Bachmann" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even-that-interesting-definitely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even-that-interesting-definitely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/stefan-bachmann-29325_affect_i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even_88112.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/stefan-bachmann-29325_affect_i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even_88112.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/stefan-bachmann-29325_affect_i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even_88112.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I look up at the painting. It's not even that interesting. Definitely doesn't grab me and shake my brain…” — Stefan Bachmann", "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": "Stefan Bachmann", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I look up at the painting....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even-that-interesting-definitely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even-that-interesting-definitely/#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 } } ] } ```