Professor James Chen, an art history scholar, has catalogued 15 Renaissance artworks from various Italian city-states that exhibit strikingly parallel...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Professor James Chen, an art history scholar, has catalogued 15 Renaissance artworks from various Italian city-states that exhibit strikingly parallel compositional methods. These pieces, produced during the period from 1480 to 1510, all demonstrate matching perspective applications, similar chromatic schemes, and identical symbolic elements within their sacred imagery. Drawing from these common artistic characteristics, Chen has determined that these artists probably studied under a single mentor or emerged from an identical artistic school, even though they operated in geographically distinct regions.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
The Renaissance paintings Professor Chen analyzed were created using techniques that were based on earlier works from the same city-states.
Professor Chen has concluded that the paintings reflect a shared artistic tradition based on their similar compositional elements.
Religious themes in Renaissance art seem to have been more significant for painters working in some Italian city-states than in others.
Although art historians have examined Renaissance paintings extensively, they have only recently found works that demonstrate these artistic connections.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Professor James Chen, an art history scholar, has catalogued 15 Renaissance artworks from various Italian city-states that exhibit strikingly parallel compositional methods." |
|
| "These pieces, produced during the period from 1480 to 1510, all demonstrate matching perspective applications, similar chromatic schemes, and identical symbolic elements within their sacred imagery." |
|
| "Drawing from these common artistic characteristics, Chen has determined that these artists probably studied under a single mentor or emerged from an identical artistic school, even though they operated in geographically distinct regions." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Professor Chen has concluded that 15 Renaissance paintings from different Italian regions share a common artistic tradition because they demonstrate remarkably similar compositional techniques.
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 correct answer should capture Chen's research process and conclusion
- It needs to mention that he analyzed artworks and found similarities
- These similarities led him to conclude something about shared artistic traditions or backgrounds
The Renaissance paintings Professor Chen analyzed were created using techniques that were based on earlier works from the same city-states.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the techniques were based on earlier works from the same city-states
- The passage never mentions earlier works or techniques being derived from the same city-states
Professor Chen has concluded that the paintings reflect a shared artistic tradition based on their similar compositional elements.
✓ Correct
- States that Chen concluded that the paintings reflect a shared artistic tradition based on their similar compositional elements
- Perfectly matches our passage analysis
Religious themes in Renaissance art seem to have been more significant for painters working in some Italian city-states than in others.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on religious themes being more significant in some city-states than others
- The passage mentions religious imagery but makes no comparison about significance across regions
Although art historians have examined Renaissance paintings extensively, they have only recently found works that demonstrate these artistic connections.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims art historians have only recently found works that demonstrate these artistic connections
- The passage is specifically about Chen's analysis, not about the field's recent discoveries in general