Rembrandt so treasured his collection of Islamic portraits that when forced to sell them in order to raise money, he

Option A - Correct
The word 'first' functions as an adverb which serves as a modifier to the verb 'made'.

Option B - Incorrect
The word 'first' functioning as an adverb cannot modify the pronoun 'he'. Also, the meaning of the sentence is quite different from what the author intended to say.

Option C - Incorrect
This answer choice is in the passive form; it doesn't give a clear description as to who makes the portraits or who is selling them. it only focuses on the portraits being sold.

Option D - Incorrect
This has the same issue as option C. It doesn't talk about who made the portrait or who is selling them, it just says the portraits are being sold.

Option E - Incorrect
This statement is incorrect because of the use of the present tense. The original statement is in the past and not in the present, so it wrong if used.