A work of art credited to the Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini (who passed away in 1516) was presented to the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
A work of art credited to the Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini (who passed away in 1516) was presented to the Metropolitan Museum as a gift in 2019, prompting art experts to initially welcome what appeared to be a previously undiscovered masterpiece. In 2022, a research group featuring art preservation specialist Dr. Elena Vasquez and chemical analysis expert Dr. James Wong performed detailed examination of the painting's pigment composition. Their investigation revealed that the blue coloration included synthetic ultramarine, a material that wasn't successfully produced until 1826. Consequently, the research team determined that ________
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Giovanni Bellini could not have produced this artwork.
Renaissance painters must have possessed access to artificially created pigments.
synthetic ultramarine must have been developed before the accepted historical date.
the conducted analysis lacked sufficient evidence for proper authentication.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'A work of art credited to the Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini (who passed away in 1516) was presented to the Metropolitan Museum as a gift in 2019' |
|
| 'prompting art experts to initially welcome what appeared to be a previously undiscovered masterpiece' |
|
| 'In 2022, a research group featuring art preservation specialist Dr. Elena Vasquez and chemical analysis expert Dr. James Wong performed detailed examination of the painting's pigment composition' |
|
| 'Their investigation revealed that the blue coloration included synthetic ultramarine, a material that wasn't successfully produced until 1826' |
|
| 'Consequently, the research team determined that' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture
Main Point: Scientific analysis revealed that a painting attributed to Giovanni Bellini contains materials that were not available during his lifetime, leading to a specific conclusion about its authenticity.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a painting attributed to a Renaissance master that initially excited experts. However, scientific analysis revealed the presence of synthetic ultramarine, a pigment not developed until 300+ years after Bellini's death.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The key evidence is clear: the painting contains synthetic ultramarine, which was not available until 1826, but Bellini died in 1516
- This creates a logical impossibility - Bellini could not have used a material that did not exist during his lifetime
- The right answer must conclude that since the painting contains materials from after Bellini's death, he could not have created it
Giovanni Bellini could not have produced this artwork.
- This directly follows from the evidence - since the painting contains synthetic ultramarine (available 1826+) and Bellini died in 1516, he could not have created it
- This matches our prethinking perfectly
Renaissance painters must have possessed access to artificially created pigments.
- This suggests Renaissance painters had access to synthetic pigments, which contradicts the evidence
- The passage specifically states synthetic ultramarine was not successfully produced until 1826
synthetic ultramarine must have been developed before the accepted historical date.
- This suggests the historical dating of synthetic ultramarine is wrong
- The passage treats 1826 as established fact and uses it as evidence, not as something to question
the conducted analysis lacked sufficient evidence for proper authentication.
- This suggests the analysis was insufficient, but the passage presents it as providing clear, decisive evidence
- The pigment analysis gave definitive results that led to a clear conclusion