The correct answer is option 3: producing strong threads of yarn. The "water frame" was a device invented by Richard Arkwright during the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. It was an important development in the textile industry and played a significant role in the mechanization of textile production.

The water frame was a spinning machine powered by water and designed to produce high-quality and strong threads of yarn. Before the invention of the water frame, spinning was done by hand, which was slow and labor-intensive. The water frame allowed for the production of yarn on a much larger scale and at a faster rate.

This invention revolutionized the textile industry by increasing the efficiency and productivity of yarn production. It paved the way for the factory system and the mass production of textiles. The water frame helped meet the growing demand for yarn and played a crucial role in the development of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.

Therefore, the water frame of Richard Arkwright was not related to producing a new type of painting, irrigating fields for rice cultivation, or the faster movement of steamships.