The Copper Butterfly, an unsigned classical painting, was carbon dated

The Copper Butterfly, an unsigned classical painting, was carbon dated to ascertain its age, previously estimated at 520 years. Manuscripts from that time reveal that one of two possible artists must be responsible for the painting's creation. One of the artists died one week after the painting had been commissioned while the other died 13 years later. Because in those days oil paintings usually took a long time to complete, it was probably the artist who died later who painted the Copper Butterfly.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the hypothesis that the Copper Butterfly was painted by the artist who died later?


A. The artist who died later was murdered whereas the artist who died earlier passed away after contracting a disease that was plaguing the area.

B. The artist who died earlier completed a different oil painting one week before the Copper Butterfly was commissioned.

C. The oil paint used 520 years ago was produced by the artists themselves for each painting, in a chemical reaction that took eleven days to prepare.

D. The artist who painted the Copper Butterfly did not paint another picture for the person who commissioned it.

E. The artist who died earlier was known for leaving his paintings unsigned.