The statement that best examines how art as a cultural practice connects river valley civilizations to classical civilizations is:
"Both civilizations used bulls to symbolize religion."
This is because the use of bulls in religious and cultural contexts can be seen in both river valley civilizations (such as the Indus Valley, where bulls were part of the seals and art) and classical civilizations (like Mesopotamia and later Greek and Roman cultures, where bulls were often linked to various deities and rituals).