The artist Henri Rousseau worked as a customs clerk for most of his life, painting only in his free time. His untrained, dreamlike scenes of jungles he had never visited were ridiculed by professional critics during his lifetime. Today, those same scenes hang in major museums and are credited with influencing later movements such as Surrealism.
What is the main purpose of the text?
- A
To compare Rousseau with another customs clerk who became an artist.
- B
To describe the techniques Rousseau used to paint jungles.
- Ccheck_circle
To trace a shift in critical reception of Rousseau's work over time.
- D
To argue that all artists should remain amateurs.
Explanation
The text contrasts Rousseau's lifetime ridicule with later acclaim — a shift in reception. B is correct.