When we consider great painters of the past, the study of art and the

Question

1998-11 SECTION A 17-24

When we consider great painters of the past, the study of art and the study of illusion cannot always be separated. By illusion I mean those contrivances of color, line, shape, and so forth that lead us to see marks on a flat surface as depicting three-dimensional objects in space. I must emphasize that I am not making a plea, disguised or otherwise, for the exercise of illusionist tricks in painting today, although I am, in fact, rather critical of  certain theories of non-representational art . But to argue over these theories would be to miss the point. That the discoveries and effects of representation that were the pride of earlier artists have become trivial today I would not deny for a moment. Yet I believe that we are in real danger of losing contact with past masters if we accept the fashionable doctrine that such matters never had anything to do with art. The very reason why the representation of nature can now be considered something commonplace should be of the greatest interest to art historians. Never before has there been an age when the visual image was so cheap in every sense of the word. We are surrounded and assailed by posters and advertisements, comics and magazine illustrations. We see aspects of reality represented on television, postage stamps, and food packages. Painting is taught in school and practiced as a pastime, and many modest amateurs have mastered tricks that would have looked like sheer magic to the fourteenth-century painter Giotto. Even the crude colored renderings on a cereal box might have made Giotto’s contemporaries gasp. Perhaps there are people who conclude from this that the cereal box is superior to a Giotto; I do not. But I think that the victory and vulgarization of representational skills create a problem for both art historians and critics.

In this connection it is instructive to remember the Greek saying that to marvel is the beginning of knowledge and if we cease to marvel we may be in danger of ceasing to know. I believe we must restore our sense of wonder at the capacity to conjure up by forms, lines, shades, or colors those mysterious phantoms of visual reality we call “pictures.” Even comics and advertisements, rightly viewed, provide food for thought. Just as the study of poetry remains incomplete without an awareness of the language of prose, so, I believe, the study of art will be increasingly supplemented by inquiry into the “linguistics” of the visual image. The way the  language of art  refers to the visible world is both so obvious and so mysterious that it is still largely unknown except to artists, who use it as we use all language—without needing to know its  grammar and semantics.    1 
 1.​​ The author of the passage explicitly disagrees with which of the following statements’

(A) In modern society even nonartists can master techniques that great artists of the fourteenth century did not employ.
(B) The ability to represent a three-dimensional object on a flat surface has nothing to do with art.
(C) In modern society the victory of representational skills has created a problem for art critics.
(D) The way that artists are able to represent the visible world is an area that needs a great deal more study before it can be fully understood.
(E) Modern painters do not frequently make use of illusionist tricks in their work.

2 
 ​2. ​​The author suggests which of the following about art historians?

(A) They do not believe that illusionist tricks have become trivial.
(B) They generally spend little time studying contemporary artists.
(C) They have not given enough consideration to how the representation of nature has become commonplace.
(D) They generally tend to argue about theories rather than address substantive issues.
(E) They are less likely than art critics to study comics or advertisements.

3 
 3. ​​​​Which of the following best states the author’s attitude toward comics, as expressed in the passage?

(A) They constitute an innovative art form.
(B) They can be a worthwhile subject for study.
(C) They are critically important to an understanding of modem art.
(D) Their visual structure is more complex than that of medieval art.
(E) They can be understood best if they are examined in conjunction with advertisements.

4 
 4. ​​​​​​​​​​The author’s statement regarding how artists use the language of art ( Highlighted ) implies that

(A) artists are better equipped than are art historians to provide detailed evaluations of other artists’ work
(B) many artists have an unusually quick, intuitive understanding of language
(C) artists can produce works of art even if they cannot analyze their methods of doing so
(D) artists of the past, such as Giotto, were better educated about artistic issues than were artists of the author’s time
(E) most artists probably consider the processes involved in their work to be closely akin to those involved in writing poetry

5 
 5. ​​​​​​​​The passage asserts which of the following about commercial art?

(A) There are many examples of commercial art whose artistic merit is equal to that of great works of art of the past.
(B) Commercial art is heavily influenced by whatever doctrines are fashionable in the serious art world of the time.
(C) The line between commercial art and great art lies primarily in how an image is used, not in the motivation for its creation.
(D) The level of technical skill required to produce representational imagery in commercial art and in other kinds of art cannot be compared.
(E) The pervasiveness of contemporary commercial art has led art historians to undervalue representational skills.

6 
 6. ​​​​​​​​​​Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about the adherents of “certain theories of nonrepresentational art” ( Highlighted )?

(A) They consider the use of illusion to be inappropriate in contemporary art.
(B) They do not agree that marks on a flat surface can ever satisfactorily convey the illusion of three-dimensional space.
(C) They do not discuss important works of art created in the past.
(D) They do not think that the representation of nature was ever the primary goal of past painters.
(E) They concern themselves more with types of art such as advertisements and magazine illustrations than with traditional art.

7 
 7. ​​​​​​​​​It can be inferred from the passage that someone who wanted to analyze the “grammar and semantics” ( Highlighted ) of the language of art would most appropriately comment on which of the following?

(A) The relationship between the drawings in a comic strip and the accompanying text
(B) The amount of detail that can be included in a tiny illustration on a postage stamp
(C) The sociological implications of the images chosen to advertise a particular product
(D) The degree to which various colors used in different versions of the same poster would attract the attention of passersby
(E) The particular juxtaposition of shapes in an illustration that makes one shape look as though it were behind another

JohnWidestone · Answer

1.​​ The author of the passage explicitly  disagrees  with which of the following statements’

(A) In modern society even nonartists can master techniques that great artists of the fourteenth century did not employ.
 "...many modest amateurs have mastered tricks that would have looked like sheer magic to the fourteenth-century painter Giotto." A is out. 
(B) The ability to represent a three-dimensional object on a flat surface has nothing to do with art.
 "..., the study of art and the study of illusion cannot always be separated. By illusion I mean those contrivances of color, line, shape, and so forth that lead us to see marks on a flat surface as depicting three-dimensional objects in space." Let's keep B 
(C) In modern society the victory of representational skills has created a problem for art critics.
 "But I think that the victory and vulgarization of representational skills create a problem for both art historians and critics." C is out. 
(D) The way that artists are able to represent the visible world is an area that needs a great deal more study before it can be fully understood.
 The very reason why the representation of nature can now be considered something commonplace should be of the greatest interest to art historians. D is out. 
(E) Modern painters do not frequently make use of illusionist tricks in their work.
 There is not enough information in order to be sure he would disagree. Out of scope. E is out.

JohnWidestone · Answer

​2. ​​The author suggests which of the following about art historians?

(A) They do not believe that illusionist tricks have become trivial.
(B) They generally spend little time studying contemporary artists.
(C) They have not given enough consideration to how the representation of nature has become commonplace.
 "The very reason why the representation of nature can now be considered something commonplace should be of the greatest interest to art historians." This seems very straightforward. Thus C. 
(D) They generally tend to argue about theories rather than address substantive issues.
(E) They are less likely than art critics to study comics or advertisements.

JohnWidestone · Answer

3. ​​​​Which of the following best states the author’s attitude toward comics, as expressed in the passage?

(A) They constitute an innovative art form.
 There is nothing said whether comics are innovative 
(B) They can be a worthwhile subject for study.
 "Even comics and advertisements, rightly viewed, provide food for thought." Thus keep B. 
(C) They are critically important to an understanding of modem art.
 No they are not, at least it is not mentioned in the text 
(D) Their visual structure is more complex than that of medieval art
 No comparison is made in the text between medieval art an comics 
(E) They can be understood best if they are examined in conjunction with advertisements.
 Comics and ads are cited in the same sentence but there is nothing said on how they are understood best

JohnWidestone · Answer

4. ​​​​​​​​​​The author’s statement regarding how artists use the language of art (Highlighted) implies that

(A) artists are better equipped than are art historians to provide detailed evaluations of other artists’ work
 "...the language of art ... is still largely unknown except to artists" this implies that non-artists such as art historians do not understand the language of art and thus artists are better equipped. 
(B) many artists have an unusually quick, intuitive understanding of language
 Just because they use the language of art as we us the normal language does not mean it is true vice versa 
(C) artists can produce works of art even if they cannot analyze their methods of doing so
 Thats what I thought first, but A suits much better 
(D) artists of the past, such as Giotto, were better educated about artistic issues than were artists of the author’s time
 There is no comparison among artists over time within the statement 
(E) most artists probably consider the processes involved in their work to be closely akin to those involved in writing poetry
 Could be true but the statement does not mention this

mimishyu · Answer

5. The passage asserts which of the following about commercial art?

(A) There are many examples of commercial art whose artistic merit is equal to that of great works of art of the past.
(B) Commercial art is heavily influenced by whatever doctrines are fashionable in the serious art world of the time. …….incorrect

Yet I believe that we are in real danger of losing contact with past masters if we accept the fashionable doctrine that such matters never had anything to do with art.
… fashionable doctrine (of commercial art) had somewhat related to art –but if we say “heavily influence” its too strong

(C) The line between commercial art and great art lies primarily in how an image is used, not in the motivation for its creation.
(D) The level of technical skill required to produce representational imagery in commercial art and in other kinds of art cannot be compared.
(E) The pervasiveness of contemporary commercial art has led art historians to undervalue representational skills….correct

Undervalue- fail to appreciate

Refer to sentence below
But I think that the victory and vulgarization of representational skills create a problem for both art historians and critics.

6. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about the adherents of “certain theories of nonrepresentational art” (Highlighted)?

When we consider great painters of the past, the study of art and the study of illusion cannot always be separated. By illusion I mean those contrivances of color, line, shape, and so forth that lead us to see marks on a flat surface as depicting three-dimensional objects in space. I must emphasize that I am not making a plea, disguised or otherwise, for the exercise of illusionist tricks in painting today, although I am, in fact, rather critical of certain theories of non-representational art.

(A) They consider the use of illusion to be inappropriate in contemporary art….correct

I’m not intend to disguise illusion(find way to rationalize illusion)
Although in some degree I am critical (doesn’t support) non-illusion
--> illusion skill=representative skill
Support non-illusion--->think illusion inappropriate

(B) They do not agree that marks on a flat surface can ever satisfactorily convey the illusion of three-dimensional space….incorrect

Refer to sentence below

By illusion I mean those contrivances of color, line, shape, and so forth that lead us to see marks on a flat surface as depicting three-dimensional objects in space.

(C) They do not discuss important works of art created in the past.….out of scope
(D) They do not think that the representation of nature was ever the primary goal of past painters. ….out of scope
(E) They concern themselves more with types of art such as advertisements and magazine illustrations than with traditional art. ….out of scope

dragonz91 · Answer

Sajjad1994   VeritasKarishma  Can you please help me with the OAs/explanations of Q4 and Q7

Aruni1991 · Answer

Please provide a detailed explaination for Question 7

bM22 · Answer

Hi  dragonz91 ,  Aruni1991 ,

7. ​​​​​​​​​It can be inferred from the passage that someone who wanted to analyze the “grammar and semantics” (Highlighted) of the language of art would most appropriately comment on which of the following?

(A) The relationship between the drawings in a comic strip and the accompanying text
(B) The amount of detail that can be included in a tiny illustration on a postage stamp
(C) The sociological implications of the images chosen to advertise a particular product
(D) The degree to which various colors used in different versions of the same poster would attract the attention of passersby
  (E) The particular juxtaposition of shapes in an illustration that makes one shape look as though it were behind another

Explanation:

The highlighted lines : "The way the language of art refers to the visible world is both so obvious and so mysterious that it is still largely unknown except to artists, who use it as we use all language—without needing to know its grammar and semantics." imply that language of art is to artists what grammar of language is to us. So something that might be visible and mysterious to us. Thus an artist will easily be able to comment on the positioning of shapes in an illustration that makes one shape look as though it were behind another.
Other options are incorrect because they are either not mentioned in the passage, or are not mentioned with respect to the expertise of artists.

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

AnirudhaS · Answer

4. ​​​​​​​​​​The author’s statement regarding how artists use the language of art (Highlighted) implies that

(A) artists are better equipped than are art historians to provide detailed evaluations of other artists’ work
(B) many artists have an unusually quick, intuitive understanding of language
(C) artists can produce works of art even if they cannot analyze their methods of doing so
(D) artists of the past, such as Giotto, were better educated about artistic issues than were artists of the author’s time
(E) most artists probably consider the processes involved in their work to be closely akin to those involved in writing poetry

Just a comment about option C 
Guess it boils down to if you consider "grammar & semantics" in poetry as an analogy to "methods" of producing art.

tkorzhan18 · Answer

For the following, please explain why C is not correct:
In the text the following is stated: 
One would be tempted to conclude that the milk carton is thus superior to a medieval painter’s work;  we do not submit to this. 
What does it mean we don't submit to this in this context?

The authors of the passage would most likely NOT agree with which of the following statements regarding modern art?
 A) In modern times even amateur artists employ techniques unbeknownst to masters of the medieval period.
B) Representation in art is the primary concern of contemporary artists.
 C) The representational skills demonstrated by a carton of milk are superior to those of the greatest Renaissance painters. 
D) Commercial art lacks the technical prowess validating any critical evaluation.
E) Artists can create works of art without delving deeply into its underlying structure and semantics.

Harshal123456 · Answer

Please can someone help out

When we consider great painters of the past, the study of art and the

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When we consider great painters of the past, the study of art and the

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