James Porter (1905-1970) was the first scholar to identify

Question

James Porter (1905-1970) was the first scholar to identify the African influence on visual art in the Americans, and much of what is known about the cultural legacy that African-American artists inherited from their African forebears has come to us by way of his work. Porter, a painter and art historian, began by studying African-American crafts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This research revealed that many of the household items created by African-American men and women—walking sticks, jugs, and textiles—displayed characteristics that linked them iconographically to artifacts of West Africa. Porter then went on to establish clearly the range of the cultural territory inherited by later African-American artists.

An example of this aspect of Porter’s research occurs in his essay “Robert S. Duncanson, Midwestern Romantic-Realist.” The work of Duncanson, a nineteenth-century painter of the Hudson River school, like that of his predecessor in the movement, Joshua Johnston, was commonly thought to have been created by a Euro-American artist. Porter proved definitively that both Duncanson and Johnston were of African ancestry. Porter published this finding and thousands of others in a comprehensive volume tracing the history of African-American art. At the time of its first printing in 1943, only two other books devoted exclusively to the accomplishments of African-American artists existed. Both of these books were written by Alain LeRoy Locke, a professor at the university where Porter also taught. While these earlier studies by Locke are interesting for being the first to survey the field, neither addressed the critical issue of African precursors; Porter’s book addressed this issue, painstakingly integrating the history of African-American art into the larger history of art in the Americas without separating it from those qualities that gave it its unique ties to African artisanship. Porter may have been especially attuned to these ties because of his conscious effort to maintain them in his own paintings, many of which combine the style of the genre portrait with evidence of an extensive knowledge of the cultural history of various African peoples.

In his later years, Porter wrote additional chapters for later editions of his book, constantly revising and correcting his findings, some of which had been based of necessity on fragmentary evidence. Among his later achievements were his definitive reckoning of the birth year of the painter Patrick Reason, long a point of scholarly uncertainty, and his identification of an unmarked grave in San Francisco as that of the sculptor Edmonia Lewis. At his death, Porter left extensive notes for unfinished project aimed at exploring the influence of African art on the art of the Western world generally, a body of research whose riches scholars still have not exhausted.   1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?

(A) Because the connections between African-American art and other art in the Americas had been established by earlier scholars, Porter’s work focused on showing African-American art’s connections to African artisanship.
(B) In addition to showing the connections between African-American art and African artisanship, Porter’s most important achievement was illustrating the links between African-American art and other art in Americas.
(C) Despite the fact that his last book remains unfinished, Porter’s work was the first to devote its attention exclusively to the accomplishments of African-American artists.
(D) Although showing the connections between African-American art and African artisanship, Porter’s work concentrated primarily on placing African-American art in the context of Western art in general.
(E) While not the first body of scholarship to treat the subject of African-American art, Porter’s work was the first to show the connections between African-American art and African artisanship.

2 
 2. The discussion of Locke’s books is intended primarily to

(A) argue that Porte’s book depended upon Locke’s pioneering scholarship
(B) highlight an important way in which Porter’s work differed from previous work in his field
(C) suggest an explanation for why Porter’s book was little known outside academic circles
(D) support the claim that Porter was not the first to notice African influences in African-American art
(E) argue that Locke’s example was a major influence o Porter’s decision to publish his findings

3 
 3. The passage states which one of the following about the 1943 edition of Porter’s book on African-American art?

(A) It received little scholarly attention at first.
(B) It was revised and improved upon in later editions.
(C) It took issue with several of Locke’s conclusions.
(D) It is considered the definitive version of Porter’s work.
(E) It explored the influence of African art on western art in general.

4 
 4. Given the information in the passage, Porter’s identification of the ancestry of Duncanson and Johnston provides conclusive evidence for which one of the following statements?

(A) Some of the characteristics defining the Hudson River school are iconographically linked to Weston African artisanship.
(B) Some of the works of Duncanson and Johnston are not in the style of the Hudson River school.
(C) Some of the work of Euro-American painters displays similarities to African-American crafts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
(D) Some of the works of the Hudson River school were done by African-American painters.
(E) Some of the works of Duncanson and Johnston were influenced by West African artifacts.

5 
 5. Which one of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage about the study that Porter left unfinished at his death?

(A) If completed, it would have contradicted some of the conclusions contained in his earlier book.
(B) If completed, it would have amended some of the conclusions contained in his earlier book.
(C) If completed, it would have brought up to date the comprehensive history of African-American art begun in his earlier book.
(D) If completed, it would have expanded upon the project of his earlier book by broadening the scope of inquiry found in the earlier book.
(E) If completed, it would have supported some of the theories put forth by Porter’s contemporaries since the publication of his earlier book.

6 
 6. Which of the following hypothetical observations is most closely analogous to the discoveries Porter made about African-American crafts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries?

(A) Contemporary Haitian social customs have a unique character dependent on but different from both their African and French origins.
(B) Popular music in the United States, some of which is based on African musical traditions, often influences music being composed on the African continent.
(C) Many novels written in Canada by Chinese immigrants exhibit narrative themes very similar to those found in Chinese folktales.
(D) Extensive Indian immigration to England has made traditional Indian foods nearly as popular there as the traditional English foods that had been popular there before Indian immigration.
(E) Some Mexican muralists of the early twentieth century consciously imitated the art of native peoples as a response to the Spanish influences that had predominated in Mexican art.

7 
 7. The passage most strongly supports which one of the following inferences about Porter’s own paintings?

(A) They often contained figures or images derived from the work of African artisans.
(B) They fueled his interest in pursuing a career in art history.
(C) They were used in Porter’s book to show the extent of African influence on African-American art.
(D) They were a deliberate attempt to prove his theories about art history.
(E) They were done after all of his academic work had been completed.

8 
 8. Based on the passage, which one of the following, if true, would have been most relevant to the project Porter was working on at the time of his death?

(A) African-American crafts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have certain resemblances to European folk crafts of earlier periods.
(B) The paintings of some twentieth-century European artists prefigured certain stylistic developments in North African graphic art.
(C) The designs of many of the quilts made by African-American women in the nineteenth century reflect designs of European trade goods.
(D) After the movement of large numbers of African-Americans to cities, the African influences in the work of many African-American painters increased.
(E) Several portraits by certain twentieth-century European painters were modeled after examples of Central African ceremonial masks.

deepshikha12 · Accepted Answer

1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?
1st para summary : Porter's work (African influence on visual art in the Americans) and method used
2nd para summary : continuation of the last para (refer the last line), the key feature that porter's work had but not others
3rd para summary : porter's continuation update of his work and more he could have done

POE:
(A) Because the connections between African-American art and other art in the Americas had been established by earlier scholars, Porter’s work focused on showing African-American art’s connections to African artisanship. -  not true, the para is not about what had already been established but about the uniqueness of the author.

(B) In addition to showing the connections between African-American art and African artisanship, Porter’s most important achievement was illustrating the links between African-American art and other art in Americas.
PArtially true: its only the summary of 2nd para. 
(C) Despite the fact that his last book remains unfinished, Porter’s work was the first to devote its attention exclusively to the accomplishments of African-American artists.
PArtially true: its only the summary of 3rd para.

(D) Although showing the connections between African-American art and African artisanship, Porter’s work concentrated primarily on placing African-American art in the context of Western art in general.
no, it was much larger than this.

(E) While not the first body of scholarship to treat the subject of African-American art, Porter’s work was the first to show the connections between African-American art and African artisanship. - sounds ok,

2. The discussion of Locke’s books is intended primarily to
Refer 2nd para " While these earlier studies by Locke are interesting for being the first to survey the field, neither addressed the critical issue of African precursors; Porter’s book addressed this issue, painstakingly integrating the history of "

POE
(A) argue that Porte’s book depended upon Locke’s pioneering scholarship - no, it doesnt
(B) highlight an important way in which Porter’s work differed from previous work in his field - yes, it does
(C) suggest an explanation for why Porter’s book was little known outside academic circles - what !! no .
(D) support the claim that Porter was not the first to notice African influences in African-American art - yes, but it does more than this.
(E) argue that Locke’s example was a major influence o Porter’s decision to publish his findings - no !

3. The passage states which one of the following about the 1943 edition of Porter’s book on African-American art?

refer para 3, "In his later years, Porter wrote additional chapters for later editions of his book, constantly revising and correcting his findings, "

POE 
(A) It received little scholarly attention at first. - not mentioned 
(B) It was revised and improved upon in later editions. - yes
(C) It took issue with several of Locke’s conclusions. - not mentioned that it took issue
(D) It is considered the definitive version of Porter’s work. - umm, no, Porter proved definitively something else but not the entire book is about that
(E) It explored the influence of African art on western art in general. - not mentioned. porter actually published to trace the history of African-American art.

4. Given the information in the passage, Porter’s identification of the ancestry of Duncanson and Johnston provides conclusive evidence for which one of the following statements?
Refer 2nd para "Porter proved definitively that both Duncanson and Johnston were of African ancestry. "

only option D will be true
(D) Some of the works of the Hudson River school were done by African-American painters.

5. Which one of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage about the study that Porter left unfinished at his death?

refer 3rd para, "At his death, Porter left extensive notes for unfinished project aimed at  exploring the influence of African art on the art of the Western world generally "
(A) If completed, it would have contradicted some of the conclusions contained in his earlier book. - no contradiction, 
(B) If completed, it would have amended some of the conclusions contained in his earlier book. - no amendment, conclusion was definitive 
(C) If completed, it would have brought up to date the comprehensive history of African-American art begun in his earlier book. -not mentioned 
(D) If completed, it would have expanded upon the project of his earlier book by broadening the scope of inquiry found in the earlier book. 
(E) If completed, it would have supported some of the theories put forth by Porter’s contemporaries since the publication of his earlier book. - not mentioned that contemporaries were studying this

6. Which of the following hypothetical observations is most closely analogous to the discoveries Porter made about African-American crafts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries?

refer 2nd para "combine the style of the genre portrait with evidence of an extensive knowledge of the cultural history of various African peoples."

(A) Contemporary Haitian social customs have a unique character dependent on but different from both their African and French origins. - no, because it doesnt capture the extensive knowledge of culture history
(B) Popular music in the United States, some of which is based on African musical traditions, often influences music being composed on the African continent. - no
(C) Many novels written in Canada by Chinese immigrants exhibit narrative themes very similar to those found in Chinese folktales. - yes, makes sense
(D) Extensive Indian immigration to England has made traditional Indian foods nearly as popular there as the traditional English foods that had been popular there before Indian immigration. no
(E) Some Mexican muralists of the early twentieth century consciously imitated the art of native peoples as a response to the Spanish influences that had predominated in Mexican art.- no

8. Based on the passage, which one of the following, if true, would have been most relevant to the project Porter was working on at the time of his death?

3rd para: exploring the influence of African art on the art of the Western world generally,

(E) Several portraits by certain twentieth-century European painters were modeled after examples of Central African ceremonial masks.

rajshekharghosh2 · Answer

SajjadAhmad  can you please explain why the answer to the question #5 is not B.

Passage says "Porter wrote additional chapters for later editions of his book, constantly revising and correcting his findings". 
if he had completed his work, he would have modified some of his earlier findings.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

All we know about Porter’s unfinished work is that’s an area that remains wide open for study (lines:  At his death, Porter left extensive notes for an unfinished project aimed at exploring the influence of African art on the art of the Western world generally, a body of research whose riches scholars still have not exhausted.) , and that it widened the scope of his earlier interests, from African American art in particular to  “the art of the Western world generally” . All of the choices, which we must examine in turn, begin with the words  “If completed,”  meaning they’re all hypothetical; and since they are hypothetical, it’ll be dangerous to depart from the scope of what we discussed above.

Now why B is wrong because:

That Porter later revised his 1943 book does not, in and of itself, imply that his unfinished book would have contradicted  (A)  or amended  (B)  his conclusions in the earlier one. Indeed, why would it have done so, since the new book was to cover a different topic?

Hope it helps

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. Given the information in the passage, Porter’s identification of the ancestry of Duncanson and Johnston provides conclusive evidence for which one of the following statements?

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

Paragraph 2  clearly announces the Duncanson/Johnston investigation  (lines: An example of this aspect of Porter’s research occurs in his essay “Robert S. Duncanson, Midwestern Romantic-Realist.” The work of Duncanson, a nineteenth-century painter of the Hudson River school, like that of his predecessor in the movement, Joshua Johnston, was commonly thought to have been created by a Euro-American artist. Porter proved definitively that both Duncanson and Johnston were of African ancestry. Porter published this finding and thousands of others in a comprehensive volume tracing the history of African-American art.)  as  “An example of this aspect of Porter’s research.”  And  “this aspect”  refers to the previous paragraph, specifically to Porter’s effort to explore the  “cultural territory.”  So even before we hit lines referred above, we expect to encounter an example of the linkage that Porter found between Africa and America.

(A)  It’s certainly true that Duncanson and Johnston were of African ancestry, and that they were part of the Hudson River School. But were they  “defining”  members of that school? Can we draw inferences from their work about the School as a whole? No—not enough evidence. Moreover, just how did Porter figure out the ancestry of the artists? It might have been through their use of African  “iconography,”  but again, we cannot be sure; maybe in this case Porter’s evidence was African themes, or painting styles. So two key elements of  (A)  are not supported by the text (and  choice (A)  has a third problem; see the discussion of  (E) , below.)

(B)  Not enough information about the Hudson River School style vs. Duncanson and Johnston’s styles is provided to justify  (B) ’s inference. Duncanson and Johnston’s work may be 100% in line with School style and yet still reveal evidence of the painters’ African ancestry.

(C)  Here again, as with  (A) , the specific evidence that Porter used to infer Duncanson and Johnston’s African ancestry is never mentioned, so we cannot be sure that their work is reflective of African crafts from the given centuries. Another problem with  (C) , of course, is that it alludes to Duncanson and Johnston as  “Euro-American,”  a phrase originally applied to them but abandoned after Porter’s findings.

(E) , like  (A) , infers that Duncanson and Johnston must have demonstrated West African influences in their art. But West Africa is never mentioned in  paragraph 2 , so whatever African influence Porter found in Duncanson and Johnston’s work, it need not have been West African in origin. Yes, West African craft pieces were part of Porter’s original research project  (Paragraph 1) . But did they play a role in the Duncanson/Johnston investigation? No way to tell.

Answer: D

5. Which one of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage about the study that Porter left unfinished at his death?

Difficulty Level:   Medium

Explanation

All we know about Porter’s unfinished work is that’s an area that remains wide open for study  (lines: influence of African art on the art of the Western world generally, a body of research whose riches scholars still have not exhausted) , and that it widened the scope of his earlier interests, from African American art in particular to  “the art of the Western world generally”   (lines: influence of African art on the art of the Western world generally, a body of research whose riches scholars still have not exhausted) . All of the choices, which we must examine in turn, begin with the words  “If completed,”  meaning they’re all hypothetical; and since they are hypothetical, it’ll be dangerous to depart from the scope of what we discussed above.

(A), (B)  That Porter later revised his 1943 book does not, in and of itself, imply that his unfinished book would have contradicted  (A)  or amended  (B)  his conclusions in the earlier one. Indeed, why would it have done so, since the new book was to cover a different topic?

(C) , like  (A)  and  (B) , inappropriately relates the unfinished book to the 1943 one, since the former was to have gone beyond African American art to Western art generally. Even if African-American artwork were to be mentioned in the unfinished work, there’s no way to tell whether Porter would have done the kind of specific updating that  (C)  describes.

(D)  simply asserts that the new book’s scope would have been broadened beyond that of Porter’s 1943 volume. Quite so. (Notice that  (D)  uses the word  “scope”  in exactly the same way that we at Kaplan do!) The earlier work dealt with the influence of African art on African-American artists, and the later work expanded the study to its influence on the Western world in general.

(E)  drags in  “Porter’s contemporaries.”  If that refers to Locke, he appears in  Paragraph 2  not  Paragraph 3 , and in a context totally unrelated to Porter’s later unfinished work. If that refers to other writers, they go unmentioned in the text.

Answer: D

Hope it helps

This is not Official explanation rather belongs to Kaplan LSAT

Harsh9676 · Answer

My Opinion

4. Given the information in the passage, Porter’s identification of the ancestry of Duncanson and Johnston provides conclusive evidence for which one of the following statements?

From P2:  "The work of Duncanson, a nineteenth-century painter of the Hudson River school, like that of his predecessor in the movement, Joshua Johnston, was commonly thought to have been created by a Euro-American artist. Porter proved definitively that both Duncanson and Johnston were of African ancestry."

We can infer that both Duncanson and Johnston belong to Hudson River school and have an African Ancestry.

(A) Some of the characteristics defining the Hudson River school are iconographically linked to Weston African artisanship. >>  Its too broad and cannot be inferred. 
(B) Some of the works of Duncanson and Johnston are not in the style of the Hudson River school. >>  We do not know what is the style of Hudson River School and the styles of both the artists 
(C) Some of the work of  Euro-American painters  displays similarities to African-American crafts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. >>  Both the artists were thought to be Euro-Americans but that is not really true. 
(D) Some of the works of the Hudson River school were done by African-American painters.  >> Correct and it is in sync with our inference 
(E) Some of the works of Duncanson and Johnston were influenced by West African artifacts.  >> We do not know whether the works of these people are influenced by African Art. We just know that they have African Ancestry.

5. Which one of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage about the study that Porter left unfinished at his death?

from P3:  At his death, Porter left extensive notes for unfinished project aimed at exploring the influence of African art on the art of the Western world generally, a body of research whose riches scholars still have not exhausted.

We can infer that the new study would make the existing work extensive and elaborate.

(A) If completed, it would have contradicted some of the conclusions contained in his earlier book. >>  We do not know the outcome of the study for sure. Hence it cannot be inferred. 
(B) If completed, it would have amended some of the conclusions contained in his earlier book. >> We do not know the outcome of the study for sure. Hence it cannot be inferred. 
(C) If completed, it would have brought up to date the comprehensive history of African-American art begun in his earlier book. >> Comprehensive .. may not be
(D) If completed, it would have expanded upon the project of his earlier book by broadening the scope of inquiry found in the earlier book. >> Correct and in sync with inference.
(E) If completed, it would have supported some of the theories put forth by Porter’s contemporaries since the publication of his earlier book. >>  we do not know this for sure.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. The passage most strongly supports which one of the following inferences about Porter’s own paintings?

Explanation

Porter’s own artwork only comes up in  Paragraph 2 . While we should go there to refresh our memory and get ready to spot the correct inference among the choices, the key phrase is line  “these ties,”  which sends us back to the previous sentence: Those ties are  “ties to African artisanship,”  which Porter made a  “conscious effort to maintain...in his own paintings.”  We can infer, then, that like many of the artworks he wrote about, Porter’s paintings include examples of African crafts—and that’s  (A).

(B)  We’re never told that Porter’s painting preceded his scholarly interests, as  (B)  would have it. If anything, its placement late in this chronologically-based passage would suggest that Porter’s art was a later pursuit rather than an earlier one.

(C)  is made up out of whole cloth. There’s not a scintilla of evidence that Porter illustrated his books with his own paintings.

(D)  focuses on the motivation for Porter’s painting, but for all we know it was a mere pastime.  (D)  doesn’t even make much sense: Since Porter’s theories posited a profound African influence on many artists, his own personal efforts to follow an African model would hardly  “prove”  those theories.

(E)  is flatly contradicted by  Paragraph 3’s  statement that Porter died with considerable academic work left unfinished. In any event, as with  (B) , the fact that the discussion of Porter’s art comes in the middle of this chronological passage would suggest that it was a part of his middle years.

Answer: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

8. Based on the passage, which one of the following, if true, would have been most relevant to the project Porter was working on at the time of his death?

Explanation

Though Porter’s last work was to deal with a broader canvas than his earlier one—he was to examine  “the art of the Western world generally”  rather than zeroing in on African American art—he still had the same basic interest in charting African influences. So  “relevant evidence”  would consist of African influences on some aspect of Western art, and beyond just America.

(A), (B), (C)  Each of these has it backwards, presenting possible earlier European influence on African-American craftwork  (A) , North African graphics  (B) , or African-American quilts  (C).

(D)  sticks to the same scope as the 1943 work, namely, the influence of African culture on African-American artists. It doesn’t explicitly speak to Porter’s broadened interests.

(E)  does the job: Images of Central African masks in European paintings would certainly be fodder for a discussion of African cultural influences on one aspect of Western art. Porter surely would have found such a linkage to be relevant.

Answer: E

Explanation Credit: Kaplan LSAT

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?

Explanation

The answer choices in this main idea question are lengthy, but all that verbiage is simply there to blind us to the fact that only  (E)  picks up on what Porter’s scholarship was all about.  (E)  picks up on the hint in the very first sentence. Notice how far and wide the four wrong choices wander:

(A)  gives predecessors way too much credit, and weakens Porter’s due standing as  “the first” (line 1).

(B)  has a big scope problem. The connections that  (B)  dismisses in its phrase  “In addition to”  are the ones that occupy almost all of the passage text!

(C)  is flatly untrue: Locke beat Porter to the punch in recognizing African-American art. And the brief reference to his unfinished work doesn’t, of course, belong in a statement of the main idea.

(D) , like the other wrong choices, blows up Porter’s last, unfinished work way too far in importance, and dismisses his main work in a subordinate opening clause.

Answer: E

Explanation Credit: Kaplan LSAT

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James Porter (1905-1970) was the first scholar to identify

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James Porter (1905-1970) was the first scholar to identify

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