The art dealer presented what appeared to be a previously unknown painting by Vincent van Gogh, complete with documentation tracing...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The art dealer presented what appeared to be a previously unknown painting by Vincent van Gogh, complete with documentation tracing its ownership back to the artist's estate. Before making any purchase decisions, museum curators needed to ______ the work's attribution through extensive technical analysis.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
accommodate
interpret
establish
relate
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The art dealer presented what appeared to be a previously unknown painting by Vincent van Gogh, complete with documentation tracing its ownership back to the artist's estate.' |
|
| 'Before making any purchase decisions, museum curators needed to' |
|
| 'the work's attribution through extensive technical analysis.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Museum curators need to verify the authenticity of a purported van Gogh painting through technical analysis before purchasing it.
Argument Flow: An art dealer presents what seems to be a new van Gogh with supporting documentation, but museum professionals need to take a specific action to confirm the painting's true attribution through scientific methods before committing to buy it.
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 curators are faced with a painting that 'appeared to be' a van Gogh - this suggests uncertainty
- They have documentation, but they're still being cautious and want to use 'extensive technical analysis' before purchasing
- The verb we need should capture what they're trying to accomplish with the attribution through this analysis
- Key elements the correct answer must have:
- Must work with 'attribution' as the object
- Should reflect the curators' need for certainty before purchasing
- Must make sense with 'through extensive technical analysis' as the method
- So the right answer should describe the action of verifying, confirming, or proving the attribution through scientific methods
accommodate
✗ Incorrect
- 'Accommodate the work's attribution' doesn't make logical sense
- You don't accommodate an attribution - you verify it or establish it
- This verb doesn't fit with the context of verification through technical analysis
interpret
✗ Incorrect
- 'Interpret the work's attribution' suggests the attribution already exists and needs explanation
- But the curators need to determine if the attribution is correct, not interpret an existing one
establish
✓ Correct
- 'Establish the work's attribution' perfectly captures what the curators need to do
- They need to establish (verify/confirm/prove) that the painting is truly by van Gogh
- This works perfectly with 'through extensive technical analysis' - using scientific methods to establish authenticity
- Matches the cautious approach before making 'purchase decisions'
relate
✗ Incorrect
- 'Relate the work's attribution' doesn't make sense in this context
- You don't 'relate' an attribution through technical analysis
- This verb doesn't connect logically with the goal of verification before purchase