To finish a work? To finish a picture? What nonsense! To finish it means to be through with it, to kill it, to rid it of its soul, to give it its final blow the coup de grace for the painter as well as for the picture.

Summary

This quote questions the notion of "finishing" a work or a picture. The speaker argues that to finish something is to essentially destroy it, to strip it of its essence and life. By applying the final touches or putting an end to the creative process, both the artist and the artwork lose something vital. It suggests that there is a certain allure in leaving a work unfinished or allowing it to exist in a state of constant change and evolution, rather than attempting to reach a definitive endpoint.

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