--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not even for a million dollars would I…" description: "\"Not even for a million dollars would I paint a tree.\" — Willem de Kooning" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/willem-de-kooning-12563_dollars_not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-p_1999607.jpg" --- # Not even for a million dollars would I paint a tree. ![“Not even for a million dollars would I paint a tree.” quote by Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/willem-de-kooning-12563_dollars_not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-p_1999607.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/willem-de-kooning-12563_dollars_not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-p_1999607.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/willem-de-kooning-12563_dollars_not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-p_1999607.jpg) > “Not even for a million dollars would I paint a tree.” [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even huge sums cannot compel an artist to create work that lacks personal meaning. **In simple terms:** Money can't force genuine art. Key Takeaway Create for purpose, not profit. Themes art integrity motivation Mood thoughtful serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - gallery commissions - public art projects - personal commissions Key Concepts authenticity value commercial pressure Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt pressured to create for money? - What values guide your artistic choices? A Different Perspective Financial incentives may compromise artistic truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Million dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million-dollars/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) ## Related quotes > [If you know the differences between an oak and a poplar, a spruce and a pine, down to the needles... you are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-allen-lawson/if-you-know-the-differences-between-an-oak-and-a-poplar-a-spruce-and/) [T. Allen Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-allen-lawson/) > [When you draw or paint a tree, you do not imitate the tree; you do not copy it exactly as it is, which would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/when-you-draw-or-paint-a-tree-you-do-not-imitate-the-tree-you-do-not/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I paint a tree - I think of how the roots go deep, deep into the earth. How the tree grows year by year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-lockwood/i-paint-a-tree-i-think-of-how-the-roots-go-deep-deep-into-the-earth/) [Douglas Lockwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-lockwood/) > [We do not project power from bankruptcy court. We're borrowing a million dollars a minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/we-do-not-project-power-from-bankruptcy-court-we-re-borrowing-a/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [At the end of the day, it's all one version of telling a story. I treated this as if it was a two million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-farrell/at-the-end-of-the-day-it-s-all-one-version-of-telling-a-story-i/) [Colin Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-farrell/) > [If you're shipwrecked on an island with 10 million dollars and your wife has gold and diamonds, but there's no water, no arable land,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/if-you-re-shipwrecked-on-an-island-with-10-million-dollars-and-your/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [When you only have a million dollar annual budget and a Super Bowl ad costs $4 million, you have to do something very creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-st-pierre/when-you-only-have-a-million-dollar-annual-budget-and-a-super-bowl-ad/) Allen St. Pierre > [I feel like when I reach my 500-million-dollar goal, then no other woman in rap will ever feel like they can't do what these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/i-feel-like-when-i-reach-my-500-million-dollar-goal-then-no-other/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [The Irish Six Million Dollar man only cost three quid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/the-irish-six-million-dollar-man-only-cost-three-quid/) [Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/) > [If you want to be equal with me, you can get your own Rolls-Royce, your own house and your own million dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-you-want-to-be-equal-with-me-you-can-get-your-own-rolls-royce-your/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If you are not using your smile, you're like someone with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-giblin/if-you-are-not-using-your-smile-you-re-like-someone-with-a-million/) [Les Giblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-giblin/) > [The dream was to not only make a good-looking film that engaged, but also had the DNA of the show so the fans would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fellner/the-dream-was-to-not-only-make-a-good-looking-film-that-engaged-but/) [Eric Fellner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fellner/) > [I mean a real police state just to get a token recognition of a law. It take, it took, I think, 15,000 troops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-mean-a-real-police-state-just-to-get-a-token-recognition-of-a-law/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I draw the line at some things. Some things I won't do for any amount of money. Like for instance, there's a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-draw-the-line-at-some-things-some-things-i-won-t-do-for-any-amount/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) ## More by Willem de Kooning > [The texture of experience is prior to everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/the-texture-of-experience-is-prior-to-everything-else/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [Art should not have to be a certain way,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/art-should-not-have-to-be-a-certain-way/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [I think I'm painting a picture of two women but it may turn out to be a landscape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/i-think-i-m-painting-a-picture-of-two-women-but-it-may-turn-out-to-be/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [Im not someone whos ever said anything definitive about his work. In my life also I have very little fixed form. I can change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/im-not-someone-whos-ever-said-anything-definitive-about-his-work-in/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [Style is a fraud. I always felt the Greeks were hiding behind their columns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/style-is-a-fraud-i-always-felt-the-greeks-were-hiding-behind-their/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [Whatever an artist's personal feelings are, as soon as an artist fills a certain area on the canvas or circumscribes it, he becomes historical.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/whatever-an-artist-s-personal-feelings-are-as-soon-as-an-artist-fills/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [The idea of space is given to the artist to change if he can. The subject matter in the abstract is space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/the-idea-of-space-is-given-to-the-artist-to-change-if-he-can-the/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [If I stretch my arms and wonder where my fingers are - that is all the space I need as a painter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/if-i-stretch-my-arms-and-wonder-where-my-fingers-are-that-is-all-the/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [The artist fills space with an attitude. The attitude never comes from himself alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/the-artist-fills-space-with-an-attitude-the-attitude-never-comes-from/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [Flesh was the reason why oil painting was invented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/flesh-was-the-reason-why-oil-painting-was-invented/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [I feel sometimes an American artist must feel, like a baseball player or something - a member of a team writing American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/i-feel-sometimes-an-american-artist-must-feel-like-a-baseball-player/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [Maybe in that earlier phase I was painting the woman in me. Art isn't a wholly masculine occupation, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/maybe-in-that-earlier-phase-i-was-painting-the-woman-in-me-art-isn-t/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [Yes, I am influenced by everbody. But every time I put my hands in my pockets I find someone else's fingers there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/yes-i-am-influenced-by-everbody-but-every-time-i-put-my-hands-in-my/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [I'd like to get all the colors in the world into one painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/i-d-like-to-get-all-the-colors-in-the-world-into-one-painting/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) > [Spiritually I am wherever my spirit allows me to be, and that is not necessarily in the future... Art never seems to make me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/spiritually-i-am-wherever-my-spirit-allows-me-to-be-and-that-is-not/) [Willem de Kooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) [Explore all 54 Willem de Kooning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/) ## 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": "Not even for a million dollars would I paint a tree.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Willem de Kooning" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-paint-a-tree/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-paint-a-tree/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/willem-de-kooning-12563_dollars_not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-p_1999607.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/willem-de-kooning-12563_dollars_not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-p_1999607.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/willem-de-kooning-12563_dollars_not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-p_1999607.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Not even for a million dollars would I paint a tree.” — Willem de Kooning", "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": "Willem de Kooning", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-de-kooning/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Not even for a million dollars...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-paint-a-tree/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-de-kooning/not-even-for-a-million-dollars-would-i-paint-a-tree/#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 } } ] } ```