Whenweconsidergreatpaintersofthepast,thestudyofartandthestudyofillusioncannotalwaysbeseparated.ByillusionImeanthosecontrivancesofcolor,line,shape,andforththatleadustoseemarksonaflatsurfaceasdepictingthree-dimensionalobjectsinspace.ImustemphasizethatIamnotmakingaplea,disguisedorotherwise,fortheexerciseofillusionisttricksinpaintingtoday,althoughIam,infactrathercriticalofcertaintheoriesofnon-representationalart.Buttoargueoverthesetheorieswouldbetomissthepoint.ThatthediscoveriesandeffectsofrepresentationthatweretheprideofearlierartistshavebecometrivialtodayIwouldnotdenyforamoment.YetIbelievethatweareinrealdangeroflosingcontactwithpastmastersifweacceptthefashionabledoctrinethatsuchmattersneverhadanythingtodowithart.Theveryreasonwhytherepresentationofnaturecannowbeconsideredsomethingcommonplaceshouldbeofthegreatestinteresttoarthistorians.Neverbeforehastherebeenanagewhenthevisualimagewassocheapineverysenseoftheword.Wearesurroundedandassailedbypostersandadvertisements,comicsandmagazineillustrations.Weseeaspectsofrealityrepresentedontelevision,postagestamps,andfoodpackages.Paintingistaughtinschoolandpracticedasapastime,andmanymodestamateurshavemasteredtricksthatwouldhavelookedlikesheermagictothe14th?centurypainterGiotto.EventhecrudecoloredrenderingsonacerealboxmighthavemadeGiotto’scontemporariesgasp.PerhapstherearepeoplewhoconcludedfromthisthatthecerealboxissuperiortoaGiotto;Idonot.ButIthinkthatthevictoryandvulgarizationofrepresentationalskillscreateaproblemforbotharthistoriansandcritics.InthisconnectionitisinstructivetoremembertheGreeksayingthattomarvelisthebeginningofknowledgeandifweceasetomarvelwemaybeindangerofceasingtoknow.Ibelievewemustrestoreoursenseofwonderatthecapacitytoconjureupbyforms,lines,shades,orcolorsthosemysteriousphantomsofvisualrealitywecall“pictures.”Evencomicsandadvertisements,rightlyviewed,providefoodforthought.Justasthestudyofpoetryremainsincompletewithoutanawarenessofthelanguageofprose,so,Ibelieve,thestudyofartwillbeincreasinglysupplementedbyinquiryintothe“linguistics”ofthevisualimage.Thewaythelanguageofartreferstothevisibleworldisbothsoobviousandsomysteriousthatitisstilllargelyunknownexcepttoartistswhouseitasweusealllanguage—withoutneedingtoknowitsgrammarandsemantics. Theauthorsuggestswhichofthefollowingaboutarthistorians?
A.They do not believe that illusionist tricks have become trivial.
B.They generally spend little time studying contemporary artists.
C.They have not given enough consideration to how the representation of nature has become commonplace.
D.They generally tend to argue about theories rather than address substantive issues.
正确答案是C