--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The desire to be primitive was very much…" description: "\"The desire to be primitive was very much a function of fin-de-siècle imperialism; it appealed to strong egos and domineering minds.\" — Robert Hughes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c63/robert-hughes-9113_desire_the-desire-to-be-primitive-was-very-much_2212070.jpg" --- # The desire to be primitive was very much a function of… ![“The desire to be primitive was very much a function of fin-de-siècle imperialism; it appealed to strong egos and domineering minds.” quote by Robert Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c63/robert-hughes-9113_desire_the-desire-to-be-primitive-was-very-much_2212070.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c63/robert-hughes-9113_desire_the-desire-to-be-primitive-was-very-much_2212070.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c63/robert-hughes-9113_desire_the-desire-to-be-primitive-was-very-much_2212070.jpg) > “The desire to be primitive was very much a function of fin-de-siècle imperialism; it appealed to strong egos and domineering minds.” [Robert Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hughes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author links the turn toward primitive aesthetics with the late‑19th‑century imperial mindset, suggesting it fed ego and power fantasies. **In simple terms:** Imperialism inspired a nostalgic, primitive artistic trend. Key Takeaway Recognize how political contexts shape artistic movements. Themes art history imperialism psychology culture Mood reflective critical Type analytical historical When to use this quote - museum curation - art criticism - historical analysis - educational lectures Key Concepts colonialism nostalgia ego power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What modern movements echo this primitive desire? - How does power influence artistic taste? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex artistic motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Imperialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperialism/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Primitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primitive/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [The truth is that while men, in our society, are encouraged to have strong egos and to function in competitive, aggressive, intellectualized modes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/starhawk/the-truth-is-that-while-men-in-our-society-are-encouraged-to-have/) [Starhawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/starhawk/) > [In the West the whole Western tradition of religion and psychology propounds, preaches, persuades people to have strong egos - because unless you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/in-the-west-the-whole-western-tradition-of-religion-and-psychology/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Quince reaches me, and instead of wrapping me in a hug like I expect, he reaches for my hair. 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