"I'm sure we don't read old paintings the way they were intended"

This quote by Robert Rauschenberg talks to the idea that the way we analyze art is often various from the way it was initially planned. This is since art is frequently open to analysis and can be seen in various ways by different people. It is also possible that the artist's original objective may have been lost in time, as the context of the painting might have altered. This quote recommends that we need to not consider given the method we analyze old paintings, as it may not be the very same as the artist's original intent. We need to rather make the effort to think about the painting in its initial context and try to understand the artist's original vision. This quote encourages us to believe critically about art and to value the initial intent of the artist.