The encounter that a portrait records is most tangibly the sitting its

3. Which of the following best expresses the passage’s main idea?

Difficulty Level: 750

Explanation

Although this passage doesn’t seem to convey a strong central idea or thesis, the author seems to be most concerned with emphasizing that a portrait sitting is a social encounter, not just an artistic exercise, and that artists consider their relationship with their sitters to be somehow significant. For this reason, (C) is a good
statement of the author’s main point.

Choice (A) also has merit. In fact, but for (C), (A) would be the best choice because it embraces the passage as a whole and properly focuses on the author’s primary concern with exploring the relationship between artist and sitter. However, the passage does not discuss how or whether this relationship results in a “successful” portrait; thus, (A) distorts the passage’s information.

Choice (D) has merit in that the author does claim that the Reynolds paradigm (described in the second paragraph) is “quite different” from the two paradigms that the first paragraph discusses. The latter does indeed involve a painter (Reynolds) whereas the other two paradigms involve photographers (Cartier-Bresson and Avedon). However, the author does not generalize from this fact that a portrait artist’s approach or view depends on whether the artist is a painter or a photographer. Thus, (D) is a bit off focus and calls for an unwarranted generalization.

Choices (B) and (E) are qualitatively the worst among the five choices. (B) distorts the information in the passage and departs from the topic at hand. Although the passage does support the notion that a portrait might reveal something about the relationship between artist and sitter, the author neither states nor implies that a portrait reveals anything about the artist’s other relationships. Moreover, nowhere in the passage does the author compare portraiture with other art forms.

Choice (E) is too narrow and refers to information not mentioned in the passage. The passage is not just about Reynolds but about the portraiture encounter in general. Also, the author does not comment on Reynolds’ “success” or about how his relationship with his sitters might have contributed to his success.

The correct answer is (C).

Passage Mapping

Step 1: The first question tells you a lot about what you might expect in the passage. In all likelihood, the passage will be primarily about the portraiture experience. The author will probably provide different viewpoints and insights on this experience from the perspective of particular artists.

Step 2: The first four sentences reinforce your initial prediction about the passage’s content. Based on these initial lines, it appears that the author will indeed be comparing and contrasting different views of the portraiture experience. At this point you don’t know whether the passage will involve the views of any artists other than Cartier-Bresson and Richard Avedon, nor do you know whether the author has any opinion on the subject. But you should be on the lookout for answers to these unknowns during Step 4.

Step 3: Consider question 1 based on what you’ve read so far. The author points out in lines that Cartier-Bresson’s conception is quite different from that of Avedon. Choices (A), (B), and (C) all appear to be viable choices, But whether the author’s purpose here is to refute Avedon’s view (choice (A)), support Cartier-Bresson’s view (choice (C)), or simply provide one of at least two perspectives without taking sides (choice (B)) remains to be seen. You’ll have to read on to find out. In any event, you can probably eliminate (D) and (E), since neither one seems relevant to the Cartier-Bresson quotation. Don’t confirm a selection yet; go on to Step 4.

Step 4: Your goal in Step 4 is to formulate an informal outline of the passage as you read from start to finish. You might want to jot down some key words and phrases to help you see how the ideas flow and to keep the four individuals discussed in the passage straight in your mind. Here’s a good outline of the passage:


Step 5: Now let’s sum up the passage based on the outline you formulated in Step 4. It’s a good idea to jot it down. Notice that the “thesis” is neutral; the author does not side with any viewpoint presented in the passage.

Thesis: Portraiture is a social experience, but artists disagree about their role in it.

Step 6: Having read the entire passage, return to the question. Nowhere in the passage does the author attempt to either refute or support any of the viewpoints presented. So you can eliminate (A) and (C).

1. The author of the passage quotes Cartier-Bresson (Highlighted) in order to

Difficulty Level: 600

Explanation

Question1: Notice also that (B) is consistent with our thesis statement. Regardless of the particular question, you can eliminate any answer choice that is inconsistent with your thesis statement.

The correct answer is (B)

2. Which of the following characterizations of the portraiture experience as viewed by Avedon is most readily inferable from the passage?

Difficulty Level: 650

Explanation

In the first sentence of the second paragraph, the author distinguishes a “quite-different paradigm” (that is, the case of Reynolds) from the conceptions of Cartier-Bresson and Avedon in that the Reynolds paradigm “has its roots not in confrontation or consultation but in active collaboration between artist and sitter.” The second sentence of the passage makes it clear that Cartier-Bresson conceives the encounter as “confrontational”; thus, you can reasonably infer that the author characterizes an Avedon sitting as a “consultation.”

Choice (B) is also a good response but nevertheless not as good as (E). Although the term “mutual accommodation,” which does not appear in the passage, is not altogether inconsistent with Avedon’s view, the term suggests a relationship in which both artist and sitter allow for the other’s needs or desires. Such a description is closer to Hazlitt’s analogy of two lovers than to Avedon’s view of the artist as diagnostician and psychic healer.

Choice (A) also has merit, yet it is not as good a response as either (B) or (E). Admittedly, the idea of “a collaboration” is not in strong opposition to the idea of “a consultation.” However, the author explicitly ascribes this characterization to the Reynolds paradigm, not to Avedon’s view. Thus, (A) confuses the passage’s information.

Choices (C) and (D) are qualitatively the worst choices among the five. (C) confuses the passage’s information. The quotation in the first paragraph makes it clear that Cartier-Bresson (not Avedon) conceives the encounter as “confrontational.” (D) also confuses the passage’s information. According to the passage, Avedon confesses “uncomfortably” to his role as diagnostician and psychic healer. It does not necessarily follow, however, that Avedon finds his encounters with his sitters to be uncomfortable.

The correct answer is (E).