The correct answer is D: They didn't know what it was.
Surrealism was an artistic and literary movement that emerged in the early 20th century, and it aimed to unlock the creative potential of the unconscious mind. The term was first coined by the poet Guillaume Apollinaire in 1917, and later popularized by André Breton, who wrote the Surrealist Manifesto in 1924. While there were key figures associated with the Surrealist movement, not all artists who explored surreal or dreamlike elements necessarily identified themselves as Surrealists.
Many artists had diverse styles and motivations, and the term "Surrealism" itself became a label that some artists might not have fully embraced or understood. Additionally, Surrealism as a movement had specific guidelines and principles outlined in Breton's manifesto, and not everyone who experimented with surreal elements adhered to these guidelines.