|Question 7Verbal

Source Texts

Text
Text 1
To many artists in the mid-nineteenth-century United States, the American wilderness symbolized innocence and untouched beauty. So George Inness's decision to foreground a railroad in his 1855 painting The Lackawanna Valley is notable, since images of railroads often alluded to the destruction of wilderness in the name of progress. In fact, art historian Nicolai Cikovsky Jr. argues that Inness glorifies the subject of the railroad by painting a scene that suggests hopefulness rather than devastation.

Text 2
It is impossible to deduce anything about George Inness's own views on the railroad from The Lackawanna Valley. The painting was commissioned by the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad to serve as a promotional image. Because Inness was directed on what to paint to appease the company's investors, the artwork's optimistic tone reflects commercial requirements rather than the artist's personal feelings.
Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view the painting The Lackawanna Valley?
The author of Text 1 claims that the painting is an accurate representation of a physical place, whereas the author of Text 2 identifies several embellishments that Inness made to alter the scene.
A
The author of Text 1 suggests that the painting can reveal information about Inness's opinions, whereas the author of Text 2 believes that the circumstances of the painting's production prohibit such an interpretation.
B
The author of Text 1 emphasizes the painting's similarities to the works of other painters at the time, whereas the author of Text 2 uses the painting to exemplify a contrast between Inness and some of his contemporaries.
C
The author of Text 1 argues that the painting successfully captures the beauty of the American wilderness, whereas the author of Text 2 asserts that the painting's primary focus is purely on industrial machinery.
D