--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I haven't the slightest idea what art is…" description: "\"I haven't the slightest idea what art is, but to be a painter is something of which you have to prove.\" — Wayne Thiebaud" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/wayne-thiebaud-19970_art_i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is_327816.png" --- # I haven't the slightest idea what art is, but to be a… ![“I haven't the slightest idea what art is, but to be a painter is something of which you have to prove.” quote by Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/wayne-thiebaud-19970_art_i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is_327816.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/wayne-thiebaud-19970_art_i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is_327816.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/wayne-thiebaud-19970_art_i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is_327816.png) > “I haven't the slightest idea what art is, but to be a painter is something of which you have to prove.” [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art is defined by the creator’s need to prove their skill and vision, even if the medium is unclear. **In simple terms:** Art demands proof of skill. Key Takeaway Focus on mastering your craft. Themes creativity self-validation skill development Mood thoughtful encouraging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career development - art education - portfolio building Key Concepts artistic authenticity personal expression technical mastery Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance proof with creative freedom? - What defines artistic success for you? A Different Perspective Proof of art can become ego‑driven, stifling experimentation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-is/) [Art Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-painter-3074404/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Idea Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-art-365630/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter/) [Painter Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter-prove-3074403/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prove/) ## Related quotes > [“HIERONIMO. Art a painter? canst paint me a tear, or a wound, a groan, or a sigh?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kyd/hieronimo-art-a-painter-canst-paint-me-a-tear-or-a-wound-a-groan-or-a/) [Thomas Kyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kyd/) > [I am really interested in the idea that art can reach wider, can go further, can go beyond the art world, why not? People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anish-kapoor/i-am-really-interested-in-the-idea-that-art-can-reach-wider-can-go/) [Anish Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anish-kapoor/) > [I think that's becoming the key to where the whole idea of art and culture are going nowadays anyway, is the idea of curation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-trak/i-think-that-s-becoming-the-key-to-where-the-whole-idea-of-art-and/) [A-Trak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-trak/) > [My idea of art is, you write something that makes people feel so strongly that they get some conviction about who they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-that-makes-people-feel-so/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [I've been trying to... Having been an English literary graduate, I've been trying to avoid the idea of doing art ever since. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-ve-been-trying-to-having-been-an-english-literary-graduate-i-ve/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I liked that the work itself was something other than simply what you saw It meant you could have an art work which was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-kosuth/i-liked-that-the-work-itself-was-something-other-than-simply-what-you/) [Joseph Kosuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-kosuth/) > [I think the idea of art kills creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-think-the-idea-of-art-kills-creativity/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Painting is something that requires a lot of time - it's not just one good idea out of art school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caio-fonseca/painting-is-something-that-requires-a-lot-of-time-it-s-not-just-one/) [Caio Fonseca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caio-fonseca/) > [I like to convey the idea that art is important in everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-like-to-convey-the-idea-that-art-is-important-in-everyday-life/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [This idea of art for art's sake is a hoax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/this-idea-of-art-for-art-s-sake-is-a-hoax/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [I happen to like regionalism, whatever that means. I like the idea of art that somehow specifically reflects some aspect of a community or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-mcmillen/i-happen-to-like-regionalism-whatever-that-means-i-like-the-idea-of/) [Michael C. McMillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-mcmillen/) > [ “Because his \[Damien Hirst\] art is idea art - art drawn on the back of cigarette packets and beer mats, roughed out in airport… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-burn/because-his-damien-hirst-art-is-idea-art-art-drawn-on-the-back-of/) [Gordon Burn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-burn/) > [“We will be happy if we can get around to the idea that art is not an outside and extra thing; that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/we-will-be-happy-if-we-can-get-around-to-the-idea-that-art-is-not-an/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) > [The first idea, the first art piece I ever did, was when I was four. I cut the seed of a pear in half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/the-first-idea-the-first-art-piece-i-ever-did-was-when-i-was-four-i/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Mom used to frame everything we made, and now I'm following her example. It makes children so proud to see their work on display…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerin-lauder/mom-used-to-frame-everything-we-made-and-now-i-m-following-her/) [Aerin Lauder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerin-lauder/) ## More by Wayne Thiebaud > [My subject matter was a genuine sort of experience that came out of my life, particularly the American world in which I was privileged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/my-subject-matter-was-a-genuine-sort-of-experience-that-came-out-of/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [Diebenkorn was a very good critic, a very tough critic, tough on himself, tough on others. He expected the finest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/diebenkorn-was-a-very-good-critic-a-very-tough-critic-tough-on/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [We all need critical confrontation of the fullest and most extreme kind that we can get. You can unnecessarily limit yourself by choosing your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/we-all-need-critical-confrontation-of-the-fullest-and-most-extreme/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [When you think of painting as painting it is rather absurd. The real world is before us - glorious sunlight and activity and fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/when-you-think-of-painting-as-painting-it-is-rather-absurd-the-real/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [Art means something very rare, an extraordinary achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/art-means-something-very-rare-an-extraordinary-achievement/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [Art is one of the dirtiest words in our language; it's mucked up with all kinds of meanings. There's the art of plumbing; there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/art-is-one-of-the-dirtiest-words-in-our-language-it-s-mucked-up-with/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [Morandi gave an intimate view of his deepest thoughts. We watched him inquiring after the devilish questions of essences and substances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/morandi-gave-an-intimate-view-of-his-deepest-thoughts-we-watched-him/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [I don't make a lot of distinctions between things like landscape or figure painting, because to me the problems are inherently the same -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/i-don-t-make-a-lot-of-distinctions-between-things-like-landscape-or/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [An artist has to train his responses more than other people do. He has to be as disciplined as a mathematician. Discipline is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/an-artist-has-to-train-his-responses-more-than-other-people-do-he-has/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [My sin as a painter is that I just want to paint anything I want to paint - and repaint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/my-sin-as-a-painter-is-that-i-just-want-to-paint-anything-i-want-to/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [A conscious decision to eliminate certain details and include selective bits of personal experiences or perceptual nuances, gives the painting more of a multi-dimension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/a-conscious-decision-to-eliminate-certain-details-and-include/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [A painter is always overjoyed when anybody pays any attention to him at all, puts him in any category, calls him anything - as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/a-painter-is-always-overjoyed-when-anybody-pays-any-attention-to-him/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [If you stare at an object, as you do when you paint, there is no point at which you stop learning things from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/if-you-stare-at-an-object-as-you-do-when-you-paint-there-is-no-point/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [As far as I'm concerned, there is only one study and that is the way in which things relate to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-there-is-only-one-study-and-that-is-the-way/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [Art is not delivered like the morning paper; it has to be stolen from Mount Olympus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/art-is-not-delivered-like-the-morning-paper-it-has-to-be-stolen-from/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) [Explore all 31 Wayne Thiebaud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 haven't the slightest idea what art is, but to be a painter is something of which you have to prove.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wayne Thiebaud" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is-but-to-be-a-painter-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is-but-to-be-a-painter-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/wayne-thiebaud-19970_art_i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is_327816.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/wayne-thiebaud-19970_art_i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is_327816.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/wayne-thiebaud-19970_art_i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is_327816.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I haven't the slightest idea what art is, but to be a painter is something of which you have to prove.” — Wayne Thiebaud", "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": "Wayne Thiebaud", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I haven't the slightest idea what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is-but-to-be-a-painter-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is-but-to-be-a-painter-is/#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 } } ] } ```