#24 - Concept Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):


This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[lsatgirlll2000]

I'm confused by answer choice B. When I read the question I thought lines 10 through 15 captured the answer. I see why A is correct. It's essentially saying that recently politically charged discussions are criticizing the fact that modern industry and labor are not part of french imp. pics. Hence, A. Impressionists are neglecting MI and L.

But can you explain by B is wrong? I don't really understand what it is saying.

[KelseyWoods]

Hi lsatgirlll2000!

Answer choice (B) says that "Herbert's book on Impressionism fails to give adequate treatment of these subjects" ("these subjects" referring to "modern industry and labor as subjects for painting" from the question stem). This is actually the opposite of what is true of Herbert's book.

Lines 10-15 tell us that "Recently, politically charged discussions that address the Impressionists' unequal treatment of men and women and the exclusion of modern industry and labor from their pictures have tended to crowd out the stylistic analysis favored by Rewald and his followers." This sets up the fact that we have two viewpoints here: 1) The viewpoint of Rewald and his followers that focus on the stylistic analysis of the Impressionists, and 2) the viewpoint of those who address the Impressionists' unequal treatment of men and women and the exclusion of modern industry and labor from their pictures. So, basically, the 1st viewpoint focuses on stylistic analysis and the 2nd viewpoint focuses more on a sociocultural analysis.

The next sentence tells us: "In a new work illustrating this trend, Robert L. Herbert dissociates himself from formalists whose preoccupation with the stylistic features of Impressionist painting has, in Herbert's view, left the history out of art history; his aim is to restore Impressionist paintings "to their sociocultural context."" Thus, Herbert and his book fall into the category of the 2nd viewpoint: Herbert's book gives more attention to modern industry and labor as subjects for Impressionist paintings than did previous (1st viewpoint) analyses that only analyzed Impressionist paintings based on their formal stylistic elements.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

[mab9178]

Hi--

Clarification on Kelsey Woods' post regarding the elimination of B.

The third paragraph states that "Moreover, the rationale for Herbert's emphasis on the social and political realities that Impressionist paintings can be said to communicate rather than on their style is finally [UNDERMINED] by what even Herbert concedes was the failure of Impressionist painters to serve as particularly conscientious illustrators of their social milieu."

I do understand Kelsey's point of the passage having two views, and that Herbert embarked on fulfilling the second. However, the author takes the position that Herbert failed to fulfill his goal as evidenced by the facts laid in the icon paragraph and the above-quoted portion in the third.

This is a must be true, inference question, that is broader than just the first paragraph where the specific terminology of "modern industry and labor" is quoted!

An answer would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi mab,

First, it's important to distinguish between the term "undermined" and "destroy." Anything that hurts the argument at all undermines it. His analysis of the social and political realities communicated by the Impressionist painters then is limited by the work of the painters themselves. But that doesn't mean that he is unable to do any analysis at all. He is still able to give the appropriate treatment to the subjects given the restrictions imposed by the nature of the art. We certainly can't be certain it was a failure.

It also seems that you are under the impression that the answer needs to address the whole passage. A MBT question does not have to address everything that must be true, but must give you something that must be true. We don't care that modern industry and labor are a small part of the passage. Answer choice (A) is giving a fact that must be true based on the facts in the stimulus.

Hope that helps!

[mab9178]

Thank you Rachael

Mazen