A
During the 1980' s Japanese collectors were very active in the market for European art, especially as purchasers of nineteenth-century Impressionist paintings. This striking pattern surely reflects a specific preference on the part of many Japanese collectors for certain aesthetic attributes they found in nineteenth-century Impressionist paintings. Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the explanation above?
A: Several nineteenth-century Impressionist painters adopted certain techniques and visual effects found in Japanese prints that are highly esteemed in Japan.
B: Impressionist paintings first became popular among art collectors in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century.
C: During the 1980s, the Japanese economy underwent a sustained expansion that was unprecedented in the country's recent history.
D: During the 1960s and 1970s, the prices of nineteenth-century Impressionist paintings often exceeded the prices of paintings by older European masters.