Never formally trained as an artist, Frida Kahlo came to painting by w

Question

Never formally trained as an artist, Frida Kahlo came to painting by way of an accident that immobilized her. Forced to lie flat on her back because of her injuries, Kahlo used a specially constructed easel, otherwise vacant time, and, perhaps, the unique emotions emanating from her confined state to fill the canvas.  Bold, vivid , and  shocking  are terms that could be used with equal accuracy to de- scribe both the paintings and the life story of Kahlo, who also contended with life- long debilitation from childhood polio.

From adolescent days, she spoke visual volumes, including by dressing herself in bold colors and heavy jewelry, and favoring unusual and evocative hairstyles. In some ways, Kahlo’s outward appearance mirrored the growing sense of Mexican nationalism that characterized much of her lifetime, as some of her choices contained echoes of female peasant clothing. In other ways, Kahlo’s choices were all art and artifice: provocative statements of individuality, as well as assertive color and design sense.

In her paintings she was often even bolder. For example,  Self Portrait with Necklace of Thorns  shows Kahlo in a large, branching thorn necklace, from which hangs a dead hummingbird, while two butterflies adorn her hair like symmetrical barrettes. In another painting called  Diego and I , showing both Kahlo and her famous painter husband Diego Rivera, Kahlo’s hair is wrapped around her neck as if it were a strangulation device.  
 1 
 1. According to the passage, the painting entitled  Diego and I

(A) is characterized by bold, assertive color.
(B) was a form of homage to Kahlo’s husband.
(C) uses images from nature as a type of adornment.
(D) is a statement of intense personal pain or internal threat.
(E) portrays Kahlo in a characteristically provocative manner.

2 
 2. The passage provides, or implies, information for responding to all of the following questions EXCEPT:

(A) How and when did Kahlo’s work as an artist begin? 
(B) What, if any, were the early manifestations of Kahlo’s artistic sensibility? 
(C) How has Kahlo chosen to represent herself in self-portraits?
(D) In what period or school of art are Kahlo’s works mainly classified? 
(E) How did Kahlo view her relationship to artist Diego Rivera?

3 
 3. Among the following characterizations, the passage is best viewed as a/an

(A) survey of the painting techniques employed by Frida Kahlo.
(B) brief biography of the early life and art of Frida Kahlo. 
(C) analysis on the overlap between Kahlo’s art and personality. 
(D) discussion of the ways in which the Mexican nationalist movement influenced Kahlo. 
(E) short meditation on the relationship of pain and illness to Kahlo’s art.

Chandankhanna · Answer

can anyone explain Q 1 and 3

bM22 · Answer

Hi  Chandankhanna ,

1. According to the passage, the painting entitled Diego and I

(A) is characterized by bold, assertive color.
(B) was a form of homage to Kahlo’s husband.
(C) uses images from nature as a type of adornment.
(D) is a statement of intense personal pain or internal threat.
 (E) portrays Kahlo in a characteristically provocative manner.

Explanation: can be inferred from the lines: "From adolescent days, she spoke visual volumes, including by dressing herself in bold colors and heavy jewelry, and favoring unusual and  evocative hairstyles ." and " In her paintings she was often even bolder.  " . These lines imply that Kahlo portrayed to be bold and provocative through her painting.

3. Among the following characterizations, the passage is best viewed as a/an

(A) survey of the painting techniques employed by Frida Kahlo.
(B) brief biography of the early life and art of Frida Kahlo.
 (C) analysis on the overlap between Kahlo’s art and personality.
 (D) discussion of the ways in which the Mexican nationalist movement influenced Kahlo.
(E) short meditation on the relationship of pain and illness to Kahlo’s art.

Explanation: The passage analyses how Kahlo's bold and provocative personality was portrayed through her paintings, as can also be inferred from the lines: "Kahlo’s choices were all art and artifice: provocative statements of individuality, as well as assertive color and design sense. In her paintings she was often even bolder. ". Thus C is the best choice. Other choices are clearly incorrect and can be directly eliminated as they have not been discussed in the passage.

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

abhik1502 · Answer

Sajjad1994

would you pls elaborate in regards to Question 1 & 2

Question 1 : Why it is not option A, when passage clearly says she was bolder in her paintings and used assertive colors. Passage says she was provocative as well, but when it was about her individuallity. But incase of painting "Diego and I", she was not alone. SO I will somewhere rule out provocative attribute for it when I do have more appropriate options.

Question 2 : How do you eliminate option E. Passage just talks about one of her husband painting, but this doesn't help us to conclude anything about their relationship.

Pls elaborate!

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. According to the passage, the painting entitled Diego and I

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

The author cites Diego and I as an example of Kahlo’s art and artifice, and as a  “provocative”  statement  “of individuality.”

The correct answer is (E).

2. The passage provides, or implies, information for responding to all of the following questions EXCEPT:

Difficulty Level:   Medium

Explanation

The passage makes no mention of terms such as surreal or naïve. It does imply Kahlo’s point of view on the relationship between Rivera and her,  choice (E) , through the mention of strangulation.

The correct answer is (D).

3. Among the following characterizations, the passage is best viewed as a/an

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

Admittedly,  choice (C)  does not express everything that the passage covers. Nevertheless, it is the best choice because almost all of second half of the paragraph treats the overlap in some way. Also, there is no survey of techniques,  choice (A) ; the passage is not a biography,  choice (B) ; there is only a single mention of Mexican nationalism,  choice (D) ; and the passage is neither a “meditation” nor primarily focused on pain and illness,  choice (E).

The correct answer is (C).

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Never formally trained as an artist, Frida Kahlo came to painting by w

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Never formally trained as an artist, Frida Kahlo came to painting by w

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