It came about while watching an interview with Marc Quinn, a British artist; there was one simple fact that came to mind-and that is all art was once modern.

It is a great idea that really helps to look differently at works from the past, releasing them from the modern point of view. That is important to realize the work of every painting, sculpture, or architecture once was part of the current cultural context. This will help in looking at art less biasedly.

I hope this phrase, which Quinn had casually thrown out during his nondescript interview, is useful to you, too.

I completely agree, this phrase "all art was once modern" has a profound impact on how we perceive art. It's a great reminder to approach art with a more open-minded and context-sensitive perspective.