---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: France has lived a long time - eight or…"
description: "\"France has lived a long time - eight or nine centuries - and yet art in France, too, was derivative up until the 19th Century.\" — Raoul Dufy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/raoul-dufy-36743_19th-century_france-has-lived-a-long-time-eight-or-ni_1979106.jpg"
---

#  France has lived a long time - eight or nine centuries…

![“France has lived a long time - eight or nine centuries - and yet art in France, too, was derivative up until the 19th Century.” quote by Raoul Dufy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/raoul-dufy-36743_19th-century_france-has-lived-a-long-time-eight-or-ni_1979106.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/raoul-dufy-36743_19th-century_france-has-lived-a-long-time-eight-or-ni_1979106.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/raoul-dufy-36743_19th-century_france-has-lived-a-long-time-eight-or-ni_1979106.jpg)

> “France has lived a long time - eight or nine centuries - and yet art in France, too, was derivative up until the 19th Century.”

[Raoul Dufy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-dufy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Dufy notes that French art, despite a long tradition, remained derivative until the 19th century.

**In simple terms:** French art copied others until the 1800s.

Key Takeaway

Seek originality beyond established traditions.

Themes

art history innovation culture

Mood

analytical historical

Type

artistic critical

When to use this quote

- museum curation
- art education
- creative practice

Key Concepts

derivativeness creative evolution

Questions to Reflect On

- When did French art break from imitation?
- What sparked the 19th‑century shift?

A Different Perspective

Innovation often follows periods of imitation.

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[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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