National governments started giving money to artists in recent history. They replaced to some extent private patrons by becoming a patron themselves, and they give their money with more stri9ngs attached than private patrons ever did and all of those str9ngs are to do with how society sees itself and nothing to do with art itself.
This is interesting because the social sciences are also a new invention that is helping people with the same country understand that we are all different and differences if not there to inspire prejudice. But it is still social engineering and that is something the arts are now used for across the world – adding to the propaganda they are widely involved in.
It seems the days of artists just being themselves were a long, long time ago.