Painting not the thing, but its effect. – Art quote by Stéphane Mallarmé
I think what Stéphane Mallarmé was trying to get across here is that art is meant to have an effect on its audience. Sure, you can paint a beautiful mountain scene, but are you just painting a beautiful mountain scene, or are you painting the effect the beautiful mountain scene has on you?
Painting is an experience the painter will never not be in a painting, interpretation is subjective.