That seems like a feel-good post-hoc euphemism (but ok, I accept that language evolves).

Either way: how did France (the nation) make any of these artworks? You could argue it was made by anyone in the spectrum ranging from "the artist" to "the humanity". Stopping at France seems arbitrary and a bit... nationalistic.

If any institution "made" them, it's the Catholic Church, not France.

There's an interesting attitude towards the word "nationalism" in US. As you say, it's probably one of the most enthusiastically civic nationalist nation in the world - indeed, to the point where American sociologists have described it as a "civic religion" at times. But the word "nationalism" itself is almost exclusively interpreted as "ethnic nationalism", and has an unambiguously negative vibe. So people who practice civic nationalism describe themselves as "patriots" instead.

We actually had elected officials chanting “USA! USA!” at the last State of the Union Address.

Very fine people on all sides of course.