Quotation by

Frank Auerbach

To put down an ideogram of a table so that people will recognize it as a table is not the work of a painter, but to sense it for a moment as a magic carpet with a leg hanging down at each corner is the beginning of a painter's imagination.

Advertisement

Understanding this quote AI Analysis

The quote means that simply drawing a basic symbol of a table is a straightforward task anyone can do, but truly imagining the table as something magical or alive requires creative thinking. It highlights that a painter’s skill lies in seeing ordinary objects in extraordinary ways, beyond their simple appearance.

More by this author

All quotes by Frank Auerbach →

More quotes about Imagination

See all →
I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you…

Advertisement

I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation and is but a reflection of human frailty.