The article argues for the recognition of 'other'beliefs in arthistorical interpretations of art. There is a tendency in the practice of interpretation to avoid aspects of potential 'foreignness' in thoughts that are uncomfortable for the interpreter to acknowledge in an artwork of great importance and high artistic value. This theoretical problem is discussed with reference to ethical claims in the understanding of art. The article examines the 'allegory' (in Walter Benjamin's sense) as a thought-form comprising the notion of foreignness; but it leaves this option and suggests instead the 'analogy' as a thought-form more appropriate to the real understanding that occurs in successful interpretations. With the analogy as the proposed thought-form relevant for interpretation of art, the article apostrophizes similarity, nearness as well as remaining alterity in the approach of the interpretation.