Art historians had previously attributed the anonymous 15th-century painting "Portrait of a Young Woman" to the workshop of Flemish master...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Art historians had previously attributed the anonymous 15th-century painting "Portrait of a Young Woman" to the workshop of Flemish master Hans Memling, citing its characteristic brushwork and color palette. _____ recent technical analysis using advanced infrared reflectography has revealed underdrawing techniques unique to Petrus Christus, suggesting the work is actually by this lesser-known contemporary.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Nevertheless,
Furthermore,
Therefore,
Similarly,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Art historians had previously attributed the anonymous 15th-century painting 'Portrait of a Young Woman' to the workshop of Flemish master Hans Memling, citing its characteristic brushwork and color palette." |
|
| "[MISSING TRANSITION]" |
|
| "recent technical analysis using advanced infrared reflectography has revealed underdrawing techniques unique to Petrus Christus, suggesting the work is actually by this lesser-known contemporary." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Recent technical analysis contradicts previous art historical attributions, suggesting "Portrait of a Young Woman" was created by Petrus Christus rather than Memling's workshop.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes what art historians have long believed about a painting's authorship based on visual analysis, then introduces new technical evidence that challenges this established view and points to a different artist entirely.
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
- Looking at our analysis, we have a clear contrast structure
- Before the blank, art historians held one view based on traditional visual analysis
- After the blank, new technical analysis reveals evidence that contradicts this view entirely
- The logical connector needs to signal that despite the previous scholarly consensus, new evidence challenges or contradicts it
Nevertheless,
✓ Correct
- Creates the perfect contrast between previous scholarly opinion and contradictory new evidence
- "Nevertheless" signals "despite what was just said" - exactly the relationship we need
Furthermore,
✗ Incorrect
- This transition adds supporting information to what came before
- Would suggest the new analysis supports the Memling attribution, which is the opposite of what happens
Therefore,
✗ Incorrect
- Shows cause-and-effect, suggesting the new analysis is a result of the previous attribution
- Creates illogical flow
Similarly,
✗ Incorrect
- Indicates the new analysis resembles or supports the previous attribution
- Completely misses that the new evidence contradicts the old attribution