To solve this question, the user needs to have a basic understanding of the HTTP protocol and how web pages are created and delivered.

The stateless HTTP protocol refers to the fact that each request from a client to a web server is independent and does not retain any knowledge of previous requests. This means that the server does not store any information about the client's previous interactions.

Now let's go through each option and determine if it is correct or incorrect:

A. on a web server: This option is incorrect. Web pages are hosted and served from web servers, but the stateless nature of the HTTP protocol does not specifically refer to where the web pages are created.

B. without information from a database: This option is incorrect. Web pages can be created with or without information from a database. The stateless nature of the HTTP protocol does not specifically relate to the use of a database.

C. without knowledge of previous web pages: This option is correct. The stateless nature of the HTTP protocol means that each request is independent and does not retain any knowledge of previous requests or web pages.

D. before a request from a client: This option is incorrect. Web pages are created and served in response to a request from a client. The stateless nature of the HTTP protocol does not refer to when the web pages are created.

E. on a client machine: This option is incorrect. Web pages are created and served from web servers, not on client machines. The stateless nature of the HTTP protocol does not relate to where the web pages are created.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

C. without knowledge of previous web pages.