The impressionist painters expressly disavowed any interest in

Question

The impressionist painters expressly disavowed any interest in philosophy, yet their new approach to art had far-reaching philosophical implications. For the view of matter that the Impressionists assumed differed profoundly from the view that had previously prevailed among artists. This view helped to unify the artistic works created in the new style.
The ancient Greeks had conceived of the world in concrete terms, even endowing abstract qualities with bodies. This Greek view of matter persisted, so far as painting was concerned, into the nineteenth century. The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality. The philosopher Taine expressed the Impressionist view of things when he said, “The chief ‘person’ in a picture is the light in which everything is bathed.”

In Impressionist painting, solid bodies became mere reflectors of light, and distinctions between one object and another became arbitrary conventions; for by light all things were welded together. The treatment of both color and outline was transformed as well. Color, formerly considered a property inherent in an object, was seen to be merely the result of vibrations of light on the object’s colorless surface. And outline, whose function had formerly been to indicate the limits of objects, now marked instead merely the boundary between units of pattern, which often merged into one another.

The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on which light struck and was reflected with varying intensity to the eye through the atmosphere, which modified it. It was this process that produced the mosaic of colors that formed an Impressionist canvas. “Light becomes the sole subject of the picture,” writes Mauclair. “The interest of the object upon which it plays is secondary. Painting thus conceived becomes a purely optic art.”

From this profoundly revolutionary form of art, then, all ideas—religious, moral, psychological—were excluded, and so were all emotions except certain aesthetic ones. The people, places, and things depicted in an Impressionist picture do not tell story or convey any special meaning; they are, instead, merely parts of pattern of light drawn from nature and captured on canvas by the artist.   1 
 1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with

(A) explaining how the Impressionists were influenced by scientific studies of light and color
(B) discussing the philosophical implications of the Impressionist style of painting
(C) identifying the revolutionary artistic techniques developed by the Impressionist painters
(D) analyzing the influence of thinkers like Taine and Mauclair on Impressionist painting
(E) defending the importance of the Impressionist painters in the history of modern art

2 
 2. According to the passage, the Impressionists differed from the ancient Greeks in that the Impressionists

(A) considered color to be property inherent in objects
(B) placed a higher value on the narrative element in painting
(C) depicted the objects in a painting as isolated, rather than united in a single pattern
(D) treated light, rather than matter, as the ultimate reality
(E) regarded art primarily as a medium for expressing moral and aesthetic ideas

3 
 3. The author’s quotation of a statement by Taine (lines 15-16) serves which of the following functions in the passage?

(A) It furnishes a specific example of an Impressionist painting that features light as its chief subject.
(B) It resolves an apparent contradiction in the philosophy of the Impressionists.
(C) It qualifies the statement that the ancient Greeks viewed the world in concrete terms.
(D) It summarizes the unique perspective that the Impressionists brought to painting.
(E) It provides a concrete illustration of the far-reaching philosophical implications of Impressionism.

4 
 4. According to the passage, the Impressionists believed that the atmosphere

(A) reflects light with varying intensity
(B) creates the illusion of color in colorless surfaces
(C) modifies the shapes of objects
(D) is the result of vibrations of light
(E) affects the way we perceived color

5 
 5. The author’s use of the term “mosaic of colors” (line 32) suggests that Impressionist paintings were characterized by

(A) discontinuous dabs of unmixed pigment
(B) broad, sweeping brush strokes
(C) clearly defined forms and objects
(D) subjects devoid of emotive or literary qualities
(E) the glowing reds, greens, and midnight blues of stained glass

6 
 6. The passage contains information that answers which of the following questions?

I. How did the Impressionists perceive matter?
II. What is the unifying element in a typical Impressionist painting?
II. How did the Impressionists’ view of color differ from that of eighteenth-century artists?

(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III

7 
 7. The ideas attributed to the Impressionists in the passage suggest that an Impressionist painter would be most likely to agree with which of the following statement?

(A) A picture is significant primarily as a manifestation of the artist’s mental state.
(B) The highest purpose of art is to teach religious truths.
(C) The quality of a picture has nothing to do with the nature of the objects it depicts.
(D) An artist should strive to recreate on canvas the inner nature of objects from real life.
(E) It is futile to attempt to paint pictures that aim to copy the optical appearance of the world.

Igor010 · Answer

1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with

(A) explaining how the Impressionists were influenced by scientific studies of light and color – nothing was told about scientific studies
(B) discussing the philosophical implications of the Impressionist style of painting – the correct answer
(C) identifying the revolutionary artistic techniques developed by the Impressionist painters - the philosophical implications, not techniques is the main point
(D) analyzing the influence of thinkers like Taine and Mauclair on Impressionist painting – those philosophers were only examples, not the main figures
(E) defending the importance of the Impressionist painters in the history of modern art – not importance in the history, but the philosophical implications are relevant here.

2. According to the passage, the Impressionists differed from the ancient Greeks in that the Impressionists

(A) considered color to be property inherent in objects
(B) placed a higher value on the narrative element in painting
(C) depicted the objects in a painting as isolated, rather than united in a single pattern – the opposite answer choice
(D) treated light, rather than matter, as the ultimate reality – Correct “The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality.”
(E) regarded art primarily as a medium for expressing moral and aesthetic ideas

3. The author’s quotation of a statement by Taine (lines 15-16) serves which of the following functions in the passage?

Here I hesitate between A and E, but choose E, because A for me is more like a function in the paragraph, while E in the passage.

(A) It furnishes a specific example of an Impressionist painting that features light as its chief subject.
(B) It resolves an apparent contradiction in the philosophy of the Impressionists.
(C) It qualifies the statement that the ancient Greeks viewed the world in concrete terms.
(D) It summarizes the unique perspective that the Impressionists brought to painting.
(E) It provides a concrete illustration of the far-reaching philosophical implications of Impressionism. - Correct

4. According to the passage, the Impressionists believed that the atmosphere

(A) reflects light with varying intensity
(B) creates the illusion of color in colorless surfaces
(C) modifies the shapes of objects – Correct: “The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on which light struck and was reflected with varying intensity to the eye through the atmosphere, which modified it.”
(D) is the result of vibrations of light
(E) affects the way we perceived color

5. The author’s use of the term “mosaic of colors” (line 32) suggests that Impressionist paintings were characterized by
(A) discontinuous dabs of unmixed pigment – not correct: “The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects”
(B) broad, sweeping brush strokes – cannot be inferred from the info given
(C) clearly defined forms and objects – not correct: “The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on which light struck”
(D) subjects devoid of emotive or literary qualities - correct
(E) the glowing reds, greens, and midnight blues of stained glass – we cannot conclude the concrete colors

6. The passage contains information that answers which of the following questions?
I. How did the Impressionists perceive matter? – Yes: “The interest of the object upon which it plays is secondary.”
II. What is the unifying element in a typical Impressionist painting? – Yes, it’s light.
III. How did the Impressionists’ view of color differ from that of eighteenth-century artists? – Although it’ s said that “Color, formerly considered a property inherent in an object, was seen to be merely the result of vibrations of light on the object’s colorless surface.”, nothing is said about the view of 19 cent artists.
(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only - correct
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III

7. The ideas attributed to the Impressionists in the passage suggest that an Impressionist painter would be most likely to agree with which of the following statement?
(A) A picture is significant primarily as a manifestation of the artist’s mental state.
(B) The highest purpose of art is to teach religious truths. – not correct: “all ideas—religious, moral, psychological—were excluded”
(C) The quality of a picture has nothing to do with the nature of the objects it depicts. – correct: the third paragraph explains that the color and shape of the objects are the work of the artist.
(D) An artist should strive to recreate on canvas the inner nature of objects from real life.
(E) It is futile to attempt to paint pictures that aim to copy the optical appearance of the world.

It would be good to see the OA and OE…..

nghatri · Answer

QUESTION 3:

"For the view of matter that the Impressionists assumed differed profoundly from the view that had previously prevailed among artists. This view helped to unify the artistic works created in the new style.

The ancient Greeks had conceived of the world in concrete terms, even endowing abstract qualities with bodies. This Greek view of matter persisted, so far as painting was concerned, into the nineteenth century. The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality.”

This entire part of the passage give you the answer to whether each of the three statements for Q6 is true:

I. How did the Impressionists perceive matter?  only mentions that they perceived matter differently than previous artists.

II. What is the unifying element in a typical Impressionist painting?  only mentions that this different view helped unify the artistic works created in the new style; does not say WHAT the unifying element was.

II. How did the Impressionists’ view of color differ from that of eighteenth-century artists?  directly mentions it in this part, "The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality.”

Skywalker18 · Answer

QUESTION 4:

4. According to the passage, the Impressionists believed that the atmosphere

The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on which light struck and was reflected with varying intensity to the eye through the atmosphere, which modified it. It was this process that produced the mosaic of colors that formed an Impressionist canvas.

(A) reflects light with varying intensity - atmosphere does not reflect but the surfaces do
(B) creates the illusion of color in colorless surfaces - Incorrect
(C) modifies the shapes of objects - Out of scope
(D) is the result of vibrations of light - Incorrect - the atmosphere by itself is not the result but the process of light striking a surface and reflecting with varying intensity to eye occurs through the atmosphere.
(E) affects the way we perceived color - Correct -

Answer E

Hope this helps!!

TaN1213 · Answer

QUESTION 5:

passage -
 Color , formerly considered a property inherent in an object, was seen to be merely  the result of
vibrations of light on the object’s colorless surface.  
 The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on
which light struck and was reflected with varying intensity  to the eye through the atmosphere,
which modified it. It was this process that produced the mosaic of colors that formed an
Impressionist canvas.

5. The author’s use of the term “mosaic of colors” (line 32) suggests that Impressionist paintings were characterized by

(A) discontinuous dabs of unmixed pigment

The authors holds the reasoning of "reflection of light with varying intensity " as the idea behind the Impressionist's Mosaic paintings. The highlighted portion suggests that it is the result of  reflection of light ON MANY SURFACES that brings variation in the intensity of colors. 
This is what the idea of Mosaic paintings of Impressionists- discontinuous dabs of unmixed pigments that acts as MANY UNEVEN surfaces to reflect light with varying intensity. This unevenness of  different colors is the cause of vibrations of light on the object's colorless surface(canvas)

Hope this helps the readers.

DmitryFarber · Answer

As for #7, what we know about Impressionists is that they were preoccupied with light, not with the actual objects in the picture. Paragraph 4 even tells us that they didn't care about the underlying meaning or significance of the painting. For those reasons, we can eliminate A, B, and D, which all have to do with meaning and ideas, rather than the visual nature of the picture.

That leaves us with C and E. E goes against the idea of the passage, which is that Impressionism was "a purely optic art" (p3). It's certainly possible that they knew they couldn't fully recreate what the world looked like, but there's no indication that they thought it was futile to try. C, on the other hand, says that the objects are not the point of the painting. This is emphasized heavily in p2.

visheshsahni · Answer

Sorry but I disagree how statement 1 can be answered in Q6. I think OA being B is wrong. Should be D, not even E as stated above.

workout  Please bump this for expert review. Too many doubts here and not a single confident answer.

GMATNinja   KarishmaB  - any insights please ?

KarishmaB · Answer

For question 6, answer (E) is correct.

I. How did the Impressionists perceive matter?

"The ancient Greeks had conceived of the world in concrete terms, even endowing abstract qualities with bodies. This Greek view of matter persisted, so far as painting was concerned, into the nineteenth century. The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality."

Gives the Greek view of matter (bodies/objects). Impressionists' viewed matter as "not the ultimate visual reality".

"In Impressionist painting, solid bodies became mere reflectors of light, and distinctions between one object and another became arbitrary conventions"

Gives how Impressionists viewed matter.

"The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on which light struck..."

Again, gives how Impressionists viewed matter.

II. What is the unifying element in a typical Impressionist painting?

"...for by light all things were welded together"

No doubt about this that light was the unifying element.

II. How did the Impressionists’ view of color differ from that of eighteenth-century artists?

"...Color, formerly considered a property inherent in an object, was seen to be merely the result of vibrations of light on the object’s colorless surface."

Again, no doubt.

KarishmaB · Answer

This is what a mosaic is: images-27.jpeg The author uses the word mosaic to impress upon us the many small surfaces on which light struck and was reflected with varying intensity (hence producing different colours). The author further emphasises that the object is secondary (implying that it's not a continuous flow of colour to show an object) 5. The author’s use of the term “mosaic of colors” (line 32) suggests that Impressionist paintings were characterized by (A) discontinuous dabs of unmixed pigment This is what mosaic represents. Correct (B) broad, sweeping brush strokes Not true. Light reflecting off many surfaces with varying intensity does not imply broad brush strokes. (C) clearly defined forms and objects No. It is not about the objects. It is about light only. (D) subjects devoid of emotive or literary qualities Though the author seems to be implying that impressionist paintings did not focus on the emotions of the subjects, mosaic of colours does not indicate that. A mosaic is made with discontinuous dabs of paint and the author is trying to bring that out here. He is trying to tell us that the painting is all about light reflected on many surfaces creating a mosaic of colours. (E) the glowing reds, greens, and midnight blues of stained glass Though mosaics are made on glass too (along with other surfaces), there is nothing that leads us to believe in the specifics given in this option. Many surfaces would produce many colours and stained glass is too specific to be implied by the term "mosaic". Answer (A)

DmitryFarber · Answer

Q5 really just relies on the meaning of the word "mosaic": a design composed of small colored pieces or tiles. This word is often used to describe something that resembles an actual mosaic visually or metaphorically. There's no metaphor here, so it must simply mean that the pictures are composed of small bits of color. (If you've seen any Impressionist art, this may not be surprising.) A is the only answer choice that conveys this meaning. If there are other choices that seem to fit, let me know and I can address them!

thangvietnam · Answer

question 1 is not easy. 
after reading the passage, we think we understand it. but we just slightly understand the passage. if we meet a main idea question, we need to reread the passage, faster , and begin to summarize each paragraph. only through rereading tha passage this time, we are able to answer the main idea question. dont be rush .

alway think that we have not understood the passage properly when we have not reread the passage. alway think that only when we reread the passage, we understand it properly. if you think this way, we can not miss the main idea question.

question 3 is also hard.
it contain 2 close answer choice, choice A and D. using POE we can eliminate choice B, C and E. but the last two choices are close. realizing the 2 close is first step on the way to the correct answer. remember, try to realize 2 close answer choice.

choice D is correct. the correct answer is consistent with the information in the passage, but for hard question, the correct answer is far from the information in the passage. this is the way gmat make difficulty for us. this is called high level of inference from the information in the passage to the information in the correct answer choice.

remember, alway use POE, power of elimination. not prethinking of correct answer for RC (in CR, prethinking is good)

altairahmad · Answer

GMATNinja  and other experts.

As for Q1, where are the 'implications' discussed ? The article is more on the new techniques although the 'developed' part is a bit fishy.

bM22 · Answer

Hi  altairahmad ,

Implications are nothing but inferences, conclusions that are not explicitly present, yet can be drawn from the passage. Author throughout the passage, tries to draw philosophical implications that the Impressionist Paintings had. Though the techniques used by painters are discussed in details, the results obtained from these techniques are the main concern, as mentioned in the passage: " Impressionist picture do not tell story or convey any special meaning; they are, instead, merely parts of pattern of light drawn from nature and captured on canvas by the artist.". Last lines of the passage completely change the way we look at the passage, as then we understand that implications of the style of painting is the main concern put forward by the author.

Hope this Helps.
Thanks.

bM22 · Answer

1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with
(A) explaining how the Impressionists were influenced by scientific studies of light and color
 (B) discussing the philosophical implications of the Impressionist style of painting
 (C) identifying the revolutionary artistic techniques developed by the Impressionist painters
(D) analyzing the influence of thinkers like Taine and Mauclair on Impressionist painting
(E) defending the importance of the Impressionist painters in the history of modern art

Explanation: Author throughout the passage, tries to draw philosophical implications that the Impressionist Paintings had. Though the techniques used by painters are discussed in details, the results obtained from these techniques are the main concern, as mentioned in the passage: " Impressionist picture do not tell story or convey any special meaning; they are, instead, merely parts of pattern of light drawn from nature and captured on canvas by the artist.". Last lines of the passage completely change the way we look at the passage, as then we understand that implications of the style of painting is the main concern put forward by the author.

2. According to the passage, the Impressionists differed from the ancient Greeks in that the Impressionists
(A) considered color to be property inherent in objects
(B) placed a higher value on the narrative element in painting
(C) depicted the objects in a painting as isolated, rather than united in a single pattern
 (D) treated light, rather than matter, as the ultimate reality
 (E) regarded art primarily as a medium for expressing moral and aesthetic ideas

Explanation: can be directly inferred from the lines: "The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality.", implying that the Impressionists considered light as the most important part of their painting, in comparison to Greeks, who viewed matter as an an important aspects in their paintings.

3. The author’s quotation of a statement by Taine (lines 15-16) serves which of the following functions in the passage?
(A) It furnishes a specific example of an Impressionist painting that features light as its chief subject.
(B) It resolves an apparent contradiction in the philosophy of the Impressionists.
(C) It qualifies the statement that the ancient Greeks viewed the world in concrete terms.
 (D) It summarizes the unique perspective that the Impressionists brought to painting.
 (E) It provides a concrete illustration of the far-reaching philosophical implications of Impressionism.

Explanation: Lines in concern: "The chief ‘person’ in a picture is the light in which everything is bathed.”, These lines in short define the view as portrayed by Impressionist painters, in which they considered light as the most important part of their paintings.

Let me know if you still have doubts.

Thanks.

KarishmaB · Answer

QUESTION 6:

Impressionism emerged in the 19th century (mostly late 19th century).

III. How did the Impressionists’ view of color differ from that of eighteenth-century artists?

This Greek view of matter persisted, so far as painting was concerned,  into the nineteenth century . The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality...
The treatment of both color and outline was transformed as well.  Color, formerly considered a property inherent in an object, was seen to be merely the result of vibrations of light on the object’s colorless surface .

18th century artists held the ancient Greek view. Impressionists’ view of color was different and the passage explains how it was different. 
Hence III is answered.

mayuri1404nayak · Answer

1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with
(A) explaining how the Impressionists were influenced by scientific studies of light and color
(B) discussing the philosophical implications of the Impressionist style of painting
(C) identifying the revolutionary artistic techniques developed by the Impressionist painters
(D) analyzing the influence of thinkers like Taine and Mauclair on Impressionist painting
(E) defending the importance of the Impressionist painters in the history of modern art

Para 1-  
 The impressionist painters expressly disavowed any interest in philosophy, yet their new approach to art had far-reaching philosophical implications  
 The author mentions in para 2 how solid bodies are merely reflection of light ,color becomes vibration of light and boundaries often merged. In para 3 author mentions that Light becomes subject of the picture and finally in para 4 all object are merely part of patterns of light drawn from nature . All discusses the interpretation of impressionist's style of working

UserMaple5 · Answer

Hi  KarishmaB   DmitryFarber   GMATNinja

Can you please explain why option E for question 3 is wrong ? My thought process: " Impressionists didn't see themselves as having an interest in philosophy, but their work had philosophical implications. The fact that a philosopher (Taine) talks about this, implies that it has philosophical implications."

Is the problem with the E the use of the word "CONCRETE", which seems extreme as it's only one person's opinion? Thanks for your help in advance!

The author’s quotation of a statement by Taine (lines 15-16) serves which of the following functions in the passage?
(A) It furnishes a specific example of an Impressionist painting that features light as its chief subject.
(B) It resolves an apparent contradiction in the philosophy of the Impressionists.
(C) It qualifies the statement that the ancient Greeks viewed the world in concrete terms.
(D) It summarizes the unique perspective that the Impressionists brought to painting.
(E) It provides a concrete illustration of the far-reaching philosophical implications of Impressionism.

KarishmaB · Answer

3. The author’s quotation of a statement by Taine (lines 15-16) serves which of the following functions in the passage?
(A) It furnishes a specific example of an Impressionist painting that features light as its chief subject.
(B) It resolves an apparent contradiction in the philosophy of the Impressionists.
(C) It qualifies the statement that the ancient Greeks viewed the world in concrete terms.
(D) It summarizes the unique perspective that the Impressionists brought to painting.
(E) It provides a concrete illustration of the far-reaching philosophical implications of Impressionism.

The function of a sentence becomes clear when the consider the 2-3 sentences before it. Why is the sentence the natural next sentence? What train of thought is being followed and how did it lead to this sentence?

The ancient Greeks had conceived of the world in concrete terms, even endowing abstract qualities with bodies. This Greek view of matter persisted, so far as painting was concerned, into the nineteenth century. The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality. The philosopher Taine expressed the Impressionist view of things when he said, “The chief ‘person’ in a picture is the light in which everything is bathed.”

Look at the train of thought - Greeks painted in concrete terms, in terms of 'matter'. 
Unlike them, the Impressionists viewed light (not matter) as visual reality. Taine expressed this view by saying "The chief ‘person’ in a picture is the light in which everything is bathed." 
The author refers to what Taine said because what he said explains the Impressionists view concisely in a sentence. 
Hence (D) is correct.

The philosophical implications of Impressionism are not being discussed in this paragraph. Here we are discussing exactly what Impressionism is (in contrast with the Greek view). Hence (E) is not correct.

BansalT · Answer

Hi I found this explanation from  carcass . This covers all the ques.

1
Expert Reply
1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with
(A) explaining how the Impressionists were influenced by scientific studies of light and color
(B) discussing the philosophical implications of the Impressionist style of painting
(C) identifying the revolutionary artistic techniques developed by the Impressionist painters
(D) analyzing the influence of thinkers like Taine and Mauclair on Impressionist painting
(E) defending the importance of the Impressionist painters in the history of modern art

Explanation: Author throughout the passage, tries to draw philosophical implications that the Impressionist Paintings had. Though the techniques used by painters are discussed in details, the results obtained from these techniques are the main concern, as mentioned in the passage: " Impressionist picture do not tell story or convey any special meaning; they are, instead, merely parts of pattern of light drawn from nature and captured on canvas by the artist.". Last lines of the passage completely change the way we look at the passage, as then we understand that implications of the style of painting is the main concern put forward by the author.

2. According to the passage, the Impressionists differed from the ancient Greeks in that the Impressionists
(A) considered color to be property inherent in objects
(B) placed a higher value on the narrative element in painting
(C) depicted the objects in a painting as isolated, rather than united in a single pattern
(D) treated light, rather than matter, as the ultimate reality
(E) regarded art primarily as a medium for expressing moral and aesthetic ideas

Explanation: can be directly inferred from the lines: "The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality.", implying that the Impressionists considered light as the most important part of their painting, in comparison to Greeks, who viewed matter as an an important aspects in their paintings.

3. The author’s quotation of a statement by Taine (lines 15-16) serves which of the following functions in the passage?
(A) It furnishes a specific example of an Impressionist painting that features light as its chief subject.
(B) It resolves an apparent contradiction in the philosophy of the Impressionists.
(C) It qualifies the statement that the ancient Greeks viewed the world in concrete terms.
(D) It summarizes the unique perspective that the Impressionists brought to painting.
(E) It provides a concrete illustration of the far-reaching philosophical implications of Impressionism.

Explanation: Lines in concern: "The chief ‘person’ in a picture is the light in which everything is bathed.”, These lines in short define the view as portrayed by Impressionist painters, in which they considered light as the most important part of their paintings.

4. According to the passage, the Impressionists believed that the atmosphere
The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on which light struck and was reflected with varying intensity to the eye through the atmosphere, which modified it. It was this process that produced the mosaic of colors that formed an Impressionist canvas.

(A) reflects light with varying intensity - atmosphere does not reflect but the surfaces do
(B) creates the illusion of color in colorless surfaces - Incorrect
(C) modifies the shapes of objects - Out of scope
(D) is the result of vibrations of light - Incorrect - the atmosphere by itself is not the result but the process of light striking a surface and reflecting with varying intensity to eye occurs through the atmosphere.
(E) affects the way we perceived color - Correct -

Answer E

The author uses the word mosaic to impress upon us the many small surfaces on which light struck and was reflected with varying intensity (hence producing different colours).
The author further emphasises that the object is secondary (implying that it's not a continuous flow of colour to show an object)

5. The author’s use of the term “mosaic of colors” (line 32) suggests that Impressionist paintings were characterized by
(A) discontinuous dabs of unmixed pigment
This is what mosaic represents. Correct

(B) broad, sweeping brush strokes
Not true. Light reflecting off many surfaces with varying intensity does not imply broad brush strokes.

(C) clearly defined forms and objects
No. It is not about the objects. It is about light only.

(D) subjects devoid of emotive or literary qualities
Though the author seems to be implying that impressionist paintings did not focus on the emotions of the subjects, mosaic of colours does not indicate that. A mosaic is made with discontinuous dabs of paint and the author is trying to bring that out here. He is trying to tell us that the painting is all about light reflected on many surfaces creating a mosaic of colours.

(E) the glowing reds, greens, and midnight blues of stained glass
Though mosaics are made on glass too (along with other surfaces), there is nothing that leads us to believe in the specifics given in this option. Many surfaces would produce many colours and stained glass is too specific to be implied by the term "mosaic".

Answer (A)

For question 6, answer (E) is correct.

I. How did the Impressionists perceive matter?

"The ancient Greeks had conceived of the world in concrete terms, even endowing abstract qualities with bodies. This Greek view of matter persisted, so far as painting was concerned, into the nineteenth century. The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality."

Gives the Greek view of matter (bodies/objects). Impressionists' viewed matter as "not the ultimate visual reality".

"In Impressionist painting, solid bodies became mere reflectors of light, and distinctions between one object and another became arbitrary conventions"

Gives how Impressionists viewed matter.

"The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on which light struck..."

Again, gives how Impressionists viewed matter.

II. What is the unifying element in a typical Impressionist painting?

"...for by light all things were welded together"

No doubt about this that light was the unifying element.

II. How did the Impressionists’ view of color differ from that of eighteenth-century artists?

"...Color, formerly considered a property inherent in an object, was seen to be merely the result of vibrations of light on the object’s colorless surface."

As for #7, what we know about Impressionists is that they were preoccupied with light, not with the actual objects in the picture. Paragraph 4 even tells us that they didn't care about the underlying meaning or significance of the painting. For those reasons, we can eliminate A, B, and D, which all have to do with meaning and ideas, rather than the visual nature of the picture.

That leaves us with C and E. E goes against the idea of the passage, which is that Impressionism was "a purely optic art" (p3). It's certainly possible that they knew they couldn't fully recreate what the world looked like, but there's no indication that they thought it was futile to try. C, on the other hand, says that the objects are not the point of the painting. This is emphasized heavily in p2.

mimishyu · Answer

The impressionist painters expressly disavowed any interest in philosophy, yet their new approach to art had far-reaching philosophical implications. For the view of matter that the Impressionists assumed differed profoundly from the view that had previously prevailed among artists. This view helped to unify the artistic works created in the new style.
The ancient Greeks had conceived of the world in concrete terms, even endowing abstract qualities with bodies. This Greek view of matter persisted, so far as painting was concerned, into the nineteenth century. The Impressionists, on the other hand, viewed light, not matter, as the ultimate visual reality. The philosopher Taine expressed the Impressionist view of things when he said, “The chief ‘person’ in a picture is the light in which everything is bathed.”

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point out the revolutionary difference of impressionist to that of traditional Greek philosophy for the focus transform from matter to light

In Impressionist painting, solid bodies became mere reflectors of light, and distinctions between one object and another became arbitrary conventions; for by light all things were welded together. The treatment of both color and outline was transformed as well. Color, formerly considered a property inherent in an object, was seen to be merely the result of vibrations of light on the object’s colorless surface. And outline, whose function had formerly been to indicate the limits of objects, now marked instead merely the boundary between units of pattern, which often merged into one another.

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further detailed illustration to the differences of impressionist and Greek painters depicted in para1

The Impressionist world was composed not of separate objects but of many surfaces on which light struck and was reflected with varying intensity to the eye through the atmosphere, which modified it. It was this process that produced the mosaic of colors that formed an Impressionist canvas. “Light becomes the sole subject of the picture,” writes Mauclair. “The interest of the object upon which it plays is secondary. Painting thus conceived becomes a purely optic art.”

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follow by para2 explore further on what influences had on the Impressionist style of painting that light rather than object it paints be the main theme

From this profoundly revolutionary form of art, then, all ideas—religious, moral, psychological—were excluded, and so were all emotions except certain aesthetic ones. The people, places, and things depicted in an Impressionist picture do not tell story or convey any special meaning; they are, instead, merely parts of pattern of light drawn from nature and captured on canvas by the artist.

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make the conclusion by stating the gist of impressionist in that the ideas emotions or meaning are out of presence and instead only the aesthetic light pattern are shown on the scene

The impressionist painters expressly disavowed any interest in

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The impressionist painters expressly disavowed any interest in

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