#7 - Concept Reference, Must Be True, Author's Perspective

[Haleyeastham]

I still do not see how answer d can be ruled out- can you explain to me where in the passage the ability to anticipate later artists is give van example of?

Thank you!

[Herzog.Laura]

Hi Haley,

The reason that the answer to this question is (E) and not (D) is that the author is making the argument that "the forward looking quality attributed to these artists should instead be credited to their exceptional aesthetic innovations rather than to any power to make clever guesses about political or social trends." The author is saying that we should look at the quality of their art and not to how closely they were able to predict social and political change.

(D) is incorrect because the author only talks about adjusting to social conditions in the very last paragraph about Delacroix. This example is given in contrast with the other visionary artists mentioned who were supposedly anticipating social change before it happened. The author doesn't ever say that one is better (more valuable) than the other.

What the author does describe as important is the quality and aesthetic of the artwork.

Also, just a side note: In a case like this where you are looking for something the author thinks, an incorrect answer choice may contain information that is not in the passage. It doesn't have to directly contradict the passage, and you may not always be able to point to a specific place to rule it out. Sometimes it will be enough to say that the information wasn't in the passage, so we don't know that it is true.

[Khodi7531]

I chose C but I did because I didn't even RECOGNIZE it said "representational art" - the exact art they were trying to break the mold of. Is that how you would get rid of C? I saw "technique" and was immediately my favorite because i'm like yes the author likes how they broke technique to get their point across...but with representational art in their it's kind of the opposite of that?


But what I didn't like about E was...."accomplishments"? Are their innovations and innovative ways considered accomplishments? Is this something that shouldn't have tripped me up or what.


Thanks!

[Jamena Pirone]

Hi Khodi,

You are correct that Answer Choice C is wrong because it cites "representational art" as the type of art that the artists had mastered. From lines 8-11 we know that "representational art" was, to the contrary, the type of art they were breaking away from.

In regards to Answer Choice E, I think you may be presuming a slightly different interpretation of "accomplishments" than what the question intended. Here, an accomplishment is not necessarily some concrete tangible thing like an award or a specific recognition, but rather simply something that was achieved-- namely, stylistic and aesthetic innovation.

I hope that helps!

[ragia.rageh]

Hello,
The question specifies that the characteristic that the author values most highly is supposed to be in the second paragraph. However, the answer to this question is in lines 30-34 (third paragraph). Therefore, I'm confused about when to trust the stem's placement specifications (i.e lines, paragraphs) and when to disregard it, so could you please clarify that for me?

Thanks

[Robert Carroll]

Ragia,

Nothing about the phrasing of the question entails that the information to answer it must be in the second paragraph. Indeed, many Specific Reference questions must be answered using context not just found in the specific area referred to in the question itself.

In this case, the reference in the question fixes subject - there are certain painters mentioned in the second paragraph. The question also asks what the author would value most highly about those people. That those people were introduced in the second paragraph does not mean that the author's attitude toward them is solely (or even at all) contained in that paragraph. The reference in the question fixes the identity of certain people. We're then asked about the author's viewpoint of those people. That information could be, and in this case, is, elsewhere.

Robert Carroll