Like a picture, a propositional sign is also a fact because "what constitutes a propositional sign is that in it its elements (the words) stand in a determinate relation to one another (Tractatus, 3.14). A question is raised here, what does a propositional sign depict? Wittgenstein's answer is that the elements of a propositional sign are related in such a manner that they represent the structure of a proposition. Structure of a proposition explains the situation that the proposition describes when it abides by the pictorial form. In this connection, Wittgenstein remarks that the configuration of objects in a situation corresponds to the configuration of simple signs in the propositional sign (Tractatus, 3.12). A proposition is not same as a picture but it represents the picture of a situation. It is because a proposition has a particular reference, it describes a state of affairs of the world and further, it maps a definite situation that the proposition expresses, whereas the picture by itself is a described phenomenon. Again, a proposition describes a fact whereas the picture is itself a description of that fact. There are a few more differences existing between a proposition and the picture of a proposition. A picture does not state anything unless we relate it to the objects of the world. On the other hand, a proposition states something about the phenomenal world. A picture does not assert the things necessarily which are found in the empirical world, but in case of a proposition, it asserts something which is found in the phenomenal world and it states what is the case if it is true.

The pictorial relationship consists of the correlation between the elements of the picture and the object they denote (Tractatus, 2.1514). On Wittgenstein's account, a proposition is a picture of a situation. Here, what he means is that, it is a definite representational picture which expresses a certain determinate situation. Further, he claims that the picture of a determinate situation of a proposition is a logical one. Every proposition depicts a picture which is same as every proposition has a perfectly determinate sense. The method of the projection of a sentence is to think of the sense of a proposition. He states that a proposition is a picture of a situation, which one can immediately see from looking at or hearing the proposition what the situation it describes. In his words, "A proposition states something only in so far as it is a picture" (Tractatus, 4.03(4)). In this regard, a question is raised here, how can a proposition say something just by virtue of being a picture?

A proposition asserts something whereas a picture does not. No one can deny that a proposition depicts a picture. At best, an individual can only deny the picture by saying that it is not the right one. But he cannot deny the picture as such. It is noted that a picture can be used to assert something but it itself does not assert anything. Being a picture it states whether it agrees with the reality or not. The agreement and disagreement with reality provide the basis for a proposition to be claimed as either true or false. In this connection, Wittgenstein holds the view that there are differences existing between a proposition and the picture of a proposition. A proposition communicates a situation to us and so it is essentially connected with the situation. This connection is precisely a logical connection between the picture of a proposition and the proposition itself. In this regard, Wittgenstein states that a proposition shows how things stand if it is true and it also says that they do so (Tractatus, 4.022(2)). Here, he simply means that a proposition is true when it corresponds with the state of affairs existing in the phenomenal world. Hence, a proposition states something only in so far as it is a picture (Tractatus, 4.03(4)).