Question

no development without change, and that to be afraid of what is different or unfamiliar is to be afraid of life. it is no less true, however, that change may mean death and not life, and retrogression instead of development. probably we err in treating most of these pictures seriously. it is likely that many of them represent in the painters the astute appreciation of the powers to make folly lucrative, which the late p. t. barnum showed with his faked mermaid. there are thousands of people who will pay small sums to look at a faked mermaid; and now and then one of this kind with enough money will buy a cubist picture, or a picture of a misshapen woman, repellent from every standpoint. read the underlined statement on page 3. which best explains how roosevelts criticism of the artworks is supported by his use of figurative language in this statement? roosevelt argues that speaking honestly about frivolous popular art is important to establishing standards of quality in modern art. roosevelt suggests that following the crowd is a tendency in many facets of society, including art. roosevelt notes that many artists get inspiration from the works of other, more popular, artists.

Explanation:

Roosevelt compares the painters' works to the fake mermaid - a way to make folly lucrative. This figurative comparison shows his view that many of the artworks are like the fake mermaid, appealing to people's base interests rather than being of high - quality art. He implies that treating such art seriously is an error. The statement about the fake mermaid is a figurative device to criticize the artworks.

Answer:

Roosevelt argues that speaking honestly about frivolous popular art is important to establishing standards of quality in modern art.