Let's start by examining how the author believes that nature is portrayed in Lane's pictures.
In lines 33 to 35, the author tells us that Lane "painted the harbors with their ships - the instruments of expanding trade."
In the third paragraph, the author notes that, "even when [Lane] depicts more remote, less commercially active harbors, nature appears pastoral and domesticated rather than primitive or unexplored."
The author's overall view on Lane's pictures is summarized in lines 49 to 50: "I consider Lane's sea simply an environment for human activity - nature no longer inviolate."
In sum, the author considers nature to be the background for Lane's depiction of human activities i.e. business and trade. Therefore, answer choice (E) is correct.
Answer choice (A) is incorrect because the author explicitly states that Lane's pictures do not portray nature as unexplored.
Answer choice (B) is incorrect because nature is not the subject of the pictures to be idealized.
Answer choices (C) and (D) are incorrect because nature is portrayed as "pastoral and domesticated," not changing or difficult to understand.
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any further questions.
