# The Corporation as a Good Painting by Eliot Noyes > “A corporation should be like a good painting; everything visible should contribute to the correct total statement; nothing visible should detract.” > **— Eliot Noyes**, *Simple Reminders on Real American Pride* ## Sources and Context - **Direct or authoritative text:** [IBM’s Design and Architecture — IBM History](https://www.ibm.com/history/architecture) - **Series source and editorial context:** [[american/American Ethos - Simple Reminders on Real American Pride|Simple Reminders on Real American Pride]] — entry 072, “The Corporation as a Good Painting.” - **Why it belongs:** Coherence is treated as a system in which every visible choice carries meaning. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/American|American Collection]] - **Series source:** [[american/American Ethos - Simple Reminders on Real American Pride|Simple Reminders on Real American Pride]] - **American route:** [[american/American Aesthetic - Design and Material Culture|Design and Material Culture]] - **American route:** [[american/American Ethos - Cultural Thesis 04 - The Citizen as Signal|The Citizen as Signal]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/American Design|American Design]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “A corporation should be like a good painting; everything visible should contribute to the correct total statement; nothing visible should detract.” — Eliot Noyes, Simple Reminders on Real American Pride https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-real-american-pride-072-the-corporation-as-a-good-painting ```