In eighteenth-century colonial America, flowers and fruit were typically the province of the
botanical artist interested in scientific illustration rather than being the subjects of fine art.
Early in the nineteenth century, however, the Peale family of Philadelphia established the still
life, a pictureconsisting mainly of inanimate
(5) objects, as a valuable part of the artist's repertoire. The fruit paintings by James and Sarah Miriam
Peale are simple arrangements of a few objects, handsomely colored, small in size, and representing little
more than what they are. In contrast were the highly symbolic, complex compositions by Charles Bird
King, with their biting satire and critical social commentary. Each of these strains comminuted into and
(10)well past mid-century. John F. Francis (1808-86) was a part of the Pennsylvania still-life tradition
that arose, at least in part, from the work of the Peales. Most of his still lifes date from around 1850 to
1875. Luncheon Still Life looks like one of the Peales' pieces on a larger scale, kits greater complexity
resulting from the number of objects. It is also
(15)indebted to the luncheon type of still life found in seventeenth-century Dutch painting. The opened
bottles of wine and the glasses of wine partially consumed suggest a number of unseen guests. The
appeal of the fruit and nuts to our sense of taste is heightened by the juicy orange, which has already
been sliced. The arrangement is additive, that is, made up of many different parts, not always
(20)compositionally integrated, with all objects of essentially equal importance. About 1848, Severin
Roesen came to the United States from Germany and settled in New York City, where he began to
paint large, lush still lifes of flowers, fruit, or both, often measuring over four feet across. Still Life
with Fruit and Champagne is typical in its brilliance of color, meticulous rendering of detail,
(25)compact composition, and unabashed abundance. Rich in symbolic overtones, the beautifully
painted objects carry additional meanings ...... butterflies or fallen buds suggest the impermanence of
life, a bird's nest with eggs means fertility, and so on. Above all, Roesen's art expresses the abundance
that America symbolized to many of its citizens.
What does the passage mainly discuss？
A．The artwork of James and Sarah Miriam Peale
B．How Philadelphia became a center for art in the nineteenth century
C．Nineteenth-century still-life paintings in the United States
D．How botanical art inspired the first still-life paintings
Historians have only recently begun to note the increase in demand for luxury goods and service that took place in eighteenth century England. McKendrick has explored the Wedgwood firm's remarkable success in marketing luxury pottery; Plumb has written about the proliferations of provincial theaters, musical festivals, and children's toys and books. While the fact of this consumer revolution is hardly in doubt, three key questions remain: Who were the consumers？ What were their motives？ And what were the effects of the new demand for luxuries？
An answer to the flint of these has been difficult to obtain. Although it has been possible to infer from the goods and services actually produced what manufacturers and servicing trades thought their customers wanted, only a study of relevant personal documents written by actual consumers will provide a precise picture of who wanted what. We still need to know how large this consumer market was and how far clown the social scale the consumer demand for luxury goods penetrated. With regard to this last question, we might note in passing that Thompson, while rightly restoring laboring people to the stage of eighteenth century.
English history, has probably exaggerated the opposition of these people to the inroads of capitalist consumerism in general: for example, laboring people in eighteenth century England readily shifted from home-brewed beer to standardized beer produced by huge, heavily capitalized urban breweries.
To answer the question of why consumers became so eager to buy, some historians have pointed to the ability of manufacturers to advertise in a relatively uncensored press. This, however, hardly seems a sufficient answer. McKendrick favors a Veblen model of conspicuous consumptions stimulated by competition for status. The "middling sort" bought goods and services because they wanted to follow fashions set by the rich. Again, we may wonder whether this explanation is sufficient. Do not people enjoy buying things as a form. of self-gratification？ If so, consumerism could be seen as a product of the rise of new concepts of individualism and materialism, but not necessarily of the frenzy for conspicuous competition.
Finally, what were the consequences of this consumer demand for luxuries？ McKendrick claims that it goes a long way toward explaining the coming of the Industrial Revolution. But does it？ What for example does the production of high-quality pottery and toys have to do with the development of iron manufacture or textile mills？ It is perfectly possible to have the psychology and reality of a consumer society without a heavy industrial sector.
That future exploration of these key questions is undoubtedly necessary should not, however, diminish the force of the conclusion of re cent studies: the insatiable demand in eighteenth century England for frivolous as well as useful goods and services foreshadows our own world.
In the first paragraph, the author mentions McKendrick and Plumb most probably in order to _______.
A．contrast their views on the subject of luxury consumerism in eighteenth century England
B．indicate the inadequacy of historiographical approaches to eighteenth century English history
C．give examples of historians who have helped to establish the fact of growing consumerism in eighteenth century England
D．support the contention that key questions about eighteenth century consumerism remain to be answered
