Recent scholarship has challenged the traditional attribution of "The Lute Player" to Johannes Vermeer, with technical analysis suggesting the work...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Recent scholarship has challenged the traditional attribution of "The Lute Player" to Johannes Vermeer, with technical analysis suggesting the work was instead created by an artist from Vermeer's workshop. Earlier stylistic studies had relied heavily on surface visual characteristics alone. However, a comprehensive 2023 investigation by conservator Elena Rodriguez used multiple analytical techniques—infrared reflectography, X-ray photography, and paint analysis—to examine both surface and underlying features. This thorough technical approach provided strong evidence supporting the workshop attribution.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?
It presents the standard methodology used in art attribution.
It contrasts technical analysis with traditional approaches.
It summarizes recent developments in conservation science.
It describes a limitation of some studies about the painting's attribution.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Recent scholarship has challenged the traditional attribution of 'The Lute Player' to Johannes Vermeer, with technical analysis suggesting the work was instead created by an artist from Vermeer's workshop." |
|
| "Earlier stylistic studies had relied heavily on surface visual characteristics alone." |
|
| "However, a comprehensive 2023 investigation by conservator Elena Rodriguez used multiple analytical techniques—infrared reflectography, X-ray photography, and paint analysis—to examine both surface and underlying features." |
|
| "This thorough technical approach provided strong evidence supporting the workshop attribution." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Recent comprehensive technical analysis provides stronger evidence than earlier surface-only studies for attributing "The Lute Player" to Vermeer's workshop rather than Vermeer himself.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a scholarly debate about attribution, explains the limitation of earlier studies that only examined surface features, then contrasts this with a 2023 comprehensive technical investigation that used multiple methods to examine both surface and underlying features, ultimately supporting the workshop attribution.
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 underlined sentence describes what earlier studies did - they "relied heavily on surface visual characteristics alone."
- The key word "alone" suggests this was insufficient or limited.
- This sentence comes right after mentioning recent scholarship that challenges traditional attribution, so it's providing context about those earlier traditional approaches.
- The sentence explains a specific limitation or shortcoming of previous studies - they only looked at surface features, which is implicitly presented as inadequate compared to the more comprehensive approach that follows.
- So the right answer should identify that this sentence describes a limitation or inadequacy of the earlier studies mentioned in the scholarly debate.
It presents the standard methodology used in art attribution.
✗ Incorrect
- This choice suggests the sentence presents the "standard methodology," but the word "alone" and the contrasting "However" that follows indicate this approach was limited, not standard practice.
- The sentence is critiquing the earlier approach, not presenting it as the accepted method.
It contrasts technical analysis with traditional approaches.
✗ Incorrect
- While the sentence does describe traditional approaches, it doesn't itself make a contrast with technical analysis.
- The contrast comes in the following sentence with "However" - this sentence just sets up information that will be contrasted in the next sentence.
It summarizes recent developments in conservation science.
✗ Incorrect
- The sentence discusses "earlier" studies, not recent developments.
- It's describing past methodology, not summarizing new conservation science advances.
It describes a limitation of some studies about the painting's attribution.
✓ Correct
- The phrase "relied heavily on surface visual characteristics alone" describes exactly what earlier studies were limited to.
- The word "alone" indicates this was insufficient - a clear limitation.
- This matches our prethinking that the sentence explains what was inadequate about previous approaches.