"The classical tradition of "accurate" painting (Raphael and Michelangelo and Rembrandt) is not exciting.

But we're not ready to go full on free jazz/postmodernist/de-constructionist. You're not ready for it yet, but your kids are going to love it."

I disagree on the point that art is propaganda, but I can't point out almost all art contains a propaganda of some kind. Monet's Water Lilies influences common viewers to find a beauty and romanticism in simple nature. Long exposure to Monet will in general make people gaze more appreciatively at trees every now and then.

Propaganda doesn't inherently mean bad or political. Healthy lifestyle propaganda is actually a good thing, for example (also the current healthy lifestyle propaganda seems poorly executed. I much prefer the 60s american, european and soviet versions of it).

Floating flowers rule, land flowers drool

the ephemeral beauty i strive constantly to capture, studying these same details in this same garden across the infinitely variable day, this honest and perfect imperfection that i'm famous for revealing and sharing with the world, is within every moment of every life and every human being.

(significantly he made a gift of these paintings to the french state as a war memorial)

For a contemporary example, what is the message of a painting of a watermelon?

It could be merely that watermelons are beautiful. Or it could be that the artist supports the people of Palestine.

For a less extreme example, think about the paintings of Norman Rockwell. Are they just pretty images? Or do they communicate norms?

Think also about what is censored vs what is not censored.