By the mid-nineteenth century, the conviction of early nineteenth

Question

By the mid-nineteenth century, the conviction of early nineteenth-century European intellectuals and artists that the willful, energetic dynamism of the human imagination creates what we know of reality was being reshaped. In philosophy, the adherents of positivism argued that nature is independent of the imagination and that knowledge consists only in the proper connection of sense data. Historian like  von Ranke and Buckle  argued that the existence of "objective fact" enabled them to record with accuracy what actually happened in the past. And W. K. Clifford, in 1874 claimed that "all competent people" accept that sensation, thought, and emotion can be explained by "change in the condition of the matter" in the brain.

For the creative arts, the most influential evidence for an objective reality independent of the imagination came as a result of the rapid changes in photography during the 1850's. The immense effort of the previous generation of Romantic poets and painters to undo the damage of empiricism by proving that the imagination creates reality was completely undermined. They had worked passionately to convince others that their versions of the world were real, though hostile critics had found 11 easy to dispute such claims. Now, with the advent of photography, the painters' position became untenable. The  mindless  photograph challenged the poet or painter to deny that an objective, despicable nature was out there separate from the mind.

Painters, as if shamed by the precision of photo-graphic images, began to paint not the greatest number of the greatest ideas, which art critic John Ruskin had held before than as a goal, but the greatest amount of accurate surface detail. Art once again turned from the lamp within toward the skills required  to mirror social reality.

Novels of the mid-nineteenth century also show the effects of this growing concern with the “real” external world. No matter how visionary their approach, novelists strove to convince readers of the real-life accuracy of their fictions. Novelists such as Trollope and Thackeray begin novels by points out that the romance of narrative and extravagance of style practiced by their predecessors are eschewed in the present faithful account. In the preface to  Bleak House ,  Dickens defends the symbolic episode of Krook's spontaneous combustion as documented fact with "about thirty cases on record".

On the stage, there was increased concern with verisimilitude. The steady progress from artfulness to naturalness can be charted most graphically in opera. From formal arrangements of dance and song, from mathematically arranged distortions and enhancements of human movements and human voice: opera moved step by step toward creating the illusion of real people engaged in reactions. The areas were absorbed increasingly into the flow of the drama, and  verismo  opera was the predictable outcome.    1 
 1. According to the passage, those critical of Romantic poets and painters contended that the works of these artists

(A) were too thoroughly influenced by empiricism
(B) ignored the evidence of objective reality provided by photographs
(C) presented a false representation of reality
(D) failed to consider social reality
(E) made no attempt to depict nature

2 
 2. It can be inferred that, in presenting an account of nineteenth-century thought, the author of the pas-sage assumes which of the following?

(A) Philosophers and historians in a given period directly influence the work of painters and novelists of that period. 
(B) Artists in any area of the creative arts imitate other artists in their area.
(C) Realist artists are generally less sophisticated than are Romantic artists.
(D) Trends in a particular artistic or intellectual area can often be related to concurrent trends in other areas. 
(E) The nineteenth century was radically different from the preceding century.

3 
 3. The changes in mid-nineteenth century artistic expression, as they are described in the passage, would have been LEAST likely to result in which of the following?

(A) An opera about the struggles of a group of young artists in Paris
(B) A drama about the unhappy marriage of an American woman and a European man
(C) A novel about the short-lived revolt of a group of coal miners in Wales
(D) A painting depicting the triumph in battle of a mythical Greek hero'
(E) A painting of a street market in London

4 
 4. According to the passage, which of the following was one of the tenets held by Romantic artists?

(A) Nature is best understood by the patient examination of small details.
(B) Reality is constituted by the action of the human mind.
(C) The function of art is to mirror social reality.
(D) The-most important quality of any piece of art is the extravagance of its style.
(E) The form of art must express the function of its elements.

5 
 5. According to the passage, Ruskin recommended that painters concern themselves with

(A) maintaining the independence of the imagination
(B) the representation of ideas
(C) accurate depiction of surface detail
(D) human activities
(E) the presentation of moral dilemmas

6 
 6. The author's use of the word "mindless" ( Highlighted ) implies that he believes that which of the following is true of mid-nineteenth-century views of photography?

(A) The photographer was regarded as a creative artist.
(B) A photograph's content was regarded as completely uninfluenced by the photographer.
(C) It was believed that photographs could not be analyzed in the way paintings could.
(D) Technique was assumed to be less artistic in photography than in painting.
(E) It was believed that the relative accuracy of paintings and photographs should not be compared.

7 
 7. The passage implies by the phrase "to mirror social reality" ( Highlighted ) that mid-nineteenth-century painters attempted to

(A) depict the truth of character behind the mask of physical appearance
(B) convey their own unique vision of people in social settings
(C) reproduce faithfully what they saw around them
(D) concentrate primarily on the refinement of technique
(E) intensify their imaginative visions by exaggerating surface detail

8 
 8. The author refers to Dickens ( Text in Red ) to illustrate which of the following?

(A) The degree to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to disassociate themselves from their predecessors
(B) The excessive faithfulness to detail that characterized Dickens' work
(C) The manner in which the development of photography influenced even nongraphic art
(D) The unbroken connection between positivist philosophers and the major novelists of the nineteenth century
(E) The extent to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to have their work defined as realistic

$!vakumar.m · Accepted Answer

Answer: 1 C; 2 D; 3 D; 4 B; 5 B; 6 B; 7 C; 8 E

1. According to the passage,  those (critics)  critical of Romantic poets and painters contended that the works of these artists

(A) were too thoroughly influenced by empiricism -  infact the artists were convinced that imagination leads to reality - incorrect

(B) ignored the evidence of objective reality provided by photographs -  work of these artists were based on imagination/creativity - incorrect

(C) presented a false representation of reality -  correct. The work of these artists were based on imagination/creativity and not on their experience/empiricism.

(D) failed to consider social reality -  not true - as the artists never made an effort to consider social reality

(E) made no attempt to depict nature -  incorrect - as the artists depicted nature based on their imagination/creativity.

Question 2

2. It can be inferred that, in presenting an account of nineteenth-century thought, the author of the passage assumes which of the following?

Since the author describes about the artists (Romantic poets and painters), novelists, opera and drama/verismo opera and how they depicted their imaginative work or attempted to depict the social reality - while doing so he assumes that the trends in a particular artistic/intellectual area can be often related to trends in other areas. Option D is correct.

(A) Philosophers and Historians in a given period  directly influence the work  of Painters and Novelists of that period.  Since, the assumption should support the author's idea/conclusion, no information about the P&Hs direct influence on the work of P&Ns is given. Incorrect

(B) Artists in any area of the creative arts imitate other artists in their area. -  Again as discussed above, no evidence is given in the passage - incorrect

(C) Realist artists are generally less sophisticated than are Romantic artists.  seems irrelevant.

(D) Trends in a particular artistic or intellectual area can often be related to concurrent trends in other areas. -  Correct as explained above.

(E) The nineteenth century was radically different from the preceding century. -  irrelevant.

Question 3

3. The changes in mid-nineteenth century artistic expression, as they are described in the passage, would have been LEAST likely to result in which of the following?

Here, we need to eliminate an option which is likely to result due to the changes (rapid changes in photography) in mid-nineteenth century artistic expression. Since photography depicted reality - we need to eliminate such answer choices

(A) An opera about the struggles of a group of young artists in Paris  -depicts reality - eliminate

(B) A drama about the unhappy marriage of an American woman and a European man - depicts reality - eliminate

(C) A novel about the short-lived revolt of a group of coal miners in Wales  - depicts reality - eliminate

(D) A painting depicting the triumph in battle of a mythical Greek hero' -  is based on imagination of the artist - Correct

(E) A painting of a street market in London- depicts reality - eliminate

Question 4

4. According to the passage, which of the following was one of the tenets held by Romantic artists?

The Romantic artists were convinced that imagination leads to reality and the work of these artists were based on imagination/creativity. So B is the answer.

(A) Nature is best understood by the patient examination of small details -  not true as Romantic artists' work was based on imagination.

(B Reality is constituted by the action of the human mind. -  Correct

(C) The function of art is to mirror social reality.  - opposite to what the Romantic artists believed - incorrect

(D) The-most important quality of any piece of art is the extravagance of its style.  - not true - no such information is given in the passage

(E) The form of art must express the function of its elements.  - seems out of context.

Question 5

5. According to the passage, Ruskin recommended that painters concern themselves with

After the rapid changes in photography, the Painters depicted more of surface detail(reality) than the imaginative ideas, which art critic John Ruskin had held before than as a goal. Option B is correct.

(A) maintaining the independence of the imagination -  JR doesn't recommend the painters to maintain the independence of the imagination - incorrect

(B) the representation of ideas -  correct

(C) accurate depiction of surface detail -  JR doesn't recommend the painters to depict more of reality - incorrect

(D) human activities -  JR doesn't recommend the painters to depict more of human activities/reality - incorrect

(E) the presentation of moral dilemmas -  JR doesn't recommend the painters to depict more of social reality - incorrect

Question 6

6. The author's use of the word "mindless" (Highlighted) implies that he believes that which of the following is  true of mid-nineteenth-century views of photography ?

(A) The photographer was regarded as a creative artist.  not true. its not the photographer but about the photograph.

(B) A photograph's content was regarded as completely uninfluenced by the photographer.  Since the photographs depicted the reality which was not influenced in anyway by the imagination, so this option is correct.

(C) It was believed that photographs   could not be analyzed in the way  paintings could. This was not the view on photography.

(D)  Technique  was assumed  to be less artistic  in photography than in painting.  This was not the view on photography.

(E) It was believed that the relative accuracy of paintings and photographs should not be compared.  opposite - the painters compared their work to photographs and tried to depict the same (as if ashamed of the precision of photographs) in their work. incorrect.

Question 7

7. The passage implies by the phrase "to mirror social reality" that mid-nineteenth-century painters attempted to

The painters, as if ashamed of the precision of the photographic images, began to paint more of accurate surface detail. Thus, art once again turned from the lamp within toward the skills required to mirror social reality - points to option C.

(A) depict the  truth of character  behind the mask of physical appearance - truth of character is again what the artists perceive about the physical appearance -  that is based on imagination - incorrect

(B) convey their own unique vision of people in social settings -  again this option indicates use of imagination- incorrect

(C) reproduce faithfully what they saw around them -  correct

(D) concentrate primarily on the refinement of technique -  not relevant 
(E) intensify their imaginative visions by exaggerating surface detail - again this option amplifies the use of imagination-  incorrect

Question 8

8. The author refers to Dickens (Text in Red) to illustrate which of the following?

(A) The degree to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to disassociate themselves from their predecessors -  to some extent true - but the main reason is to prove that their work is more realistic/mirrors the society. - incorrect

(B) The excessive faithfulness to detail that characterized Dickens' work -  not true - no support is presented to conclude the same

(C) The manner in which the development of photography influenced even nongraphic art -  to some extent true - but again not the main reason

(D) The unbroken connection between positivist philosophers and the major novelists of the nineteenth century -  not relevant

(E) The extent to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to have their work defined as realistic -  correct - the author refers to Dickens work mainly to prove that his work is more realistic.

Elite097 · Answer

1)

(A) were too thoroughly influenced by empiricism--  they rather rejected empiricism

(B) ignored the evidence of objective reality provided by photographs---  photographs not in the context of romantics but painters

(C) presented a false representation of reality-- passage says they had 11 claims to dispute what romantics did

(D) failed to consider social reality-  cant say

(E) made no attempt to depict nature-  cant say

Ans C

2) It can be inferred that, in presenting an account of nineteenth-century thought, the author of the passage assumes which of the following?

(A) Philosophers and historians in a given period directly influence the work of painters and novelists of that period-  we do not know if there is such a linkage

(B) Artists in any area of the creative arts imitate other artists in their area--  author need not assume they imitated each other cuz field are diff

(C) Realist artists are generally less sophisticated than are Romantic artists.--- Nothing is assumed about realists, forget comparison on sophistication

(D) Trends in a particular artistic or intellectual area can often be related to concurrent trends in other areas--  Yes, if this was not so, the whole chain if thought in the passage would not make sense as the whole passage is abscally examples from different fields

(E) The nineteenth century was radically different from the preceding century.-- this is an inference

Ans D

3) The changes in mid-nineteenth century artistic expression, as they are described in the passage, would have been LEAST likely to result in which of the following?

(A) An opera about the struggles of a group of young artists in Paris-  no 
(B) A drama about the unhappy marriage of an American woman and a European man-  no 
(C) A novel about the short-lived revolt of a group of coal miners in Wales-  no 
(D) A painting depicting the triumph in battle of a mythical Greek hero'-  yes 
(E) A painting of a street market in London-  no

The correct answer should be something close to reality and less of imagination and idols and beliefs. All choices except D talk about social realities/ realities. Ans D

4) According to the passage, which of the following was one of the tenets held by Romantic artists?

(A) Nature is best understood by the patient examination of small details.--  not mentioned

(B) Reality is constituted by the action of the human mind --- Passage says "by proving that the imagination creates reality"

(C) The function of art is to mirror social reality.--  opposite side

(D) The-most important quality of any piece of art is the extravagance of its style.--  this as for novelists

(E) The form of art must express the function of its elements.-- not mentioned

Ans B

5) According to the passage, Ruskin recommended that painters concern themselves with

(A) maintaining the independence of the imagination--- not mentioned

(B) the representation of ideas-- yes 'greatest number of ideas'

(C) accurate depiction of surface detail--- opposite

(D) human activities--  not mentioned

(E) the presentation of moral dilemmas--  not mentioned

Ans B

6) The author's use of the word "mindless" (Highlighted) implies that he believes that which of the following is true of mid-nineteenth-century views of photography?

(A) The photographer was regarded as a creative artist.--  no

(B) A photograph's content was regarded as completely uninfluenced by the photographer.-- yes because it represented reality

(C) It was believed that photographs could not be analyzed in the way paintings could.---  it could be analysed

(D) Technique was assumed to be less artistic in photography than in painting.---  not a belief of author

(E) It was believed that the relative accuracy of paintings and photographs should not be compared.--- this was used rather to support photography

Ans B

7) The passage implies by the phrase "to mirror social reality" (Highlighted) that mid-nineteenth-century painters attempted to

(A) depict the truth of character behind the mask of physical appearance-- not mentioned

(B) convey their own unique vision of people in social settings-  opoosite

(C) reproduce faithfully what they saw around them-- yes to produce reality as it is

(D) concentrate primarily on the refinement of technique-- moving to social reality does not mean this

(E) intensify their imaginative visions by exaggerating surface detail-  opposite

Ans C

8. The author refers to Dickens (Text in Red) to illustrate which of the following?

(A) The degree to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to disassociate themselves from their predecessors--- That was proved through examples of other 2 noveists

(B) The excessive faithfulness to detail that characterized Dickens' work--  not the case 
(C) The manner in which the development of photography influenced even nongraphic art---  thats in second para 
(D) The unbroken connection between positivist philosophers and the major novelists of the nineteenth century---
(E) The extent to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to have their work defined as realistic--- 'by definding with records' they were trying to prove reality behind their work. All para serves as an example of 'growing concern with the “real” external world'

Ans E

Oppenheimer1945 · Answer

4. According to the passage, which of the following was one of the tenets held by Romantic artists?

(A) Nature is best understood by the patient examination of small details.
(B Reality is constituted by the action of the human mind.  (as per para 2) 
(C) The function of art is to mirror social reality.
(D) The-most important quality of any piece of art is the extravagance of its style.
(E) The form of art must express the function of its elements.

The immense effort of the previous generation of Romantic poets and painters to undo the damage of empiricism by proving that the imagination creates reality was completely undermined.

5. According to the passage, Ruskin recommended that painters concern themselves with

(A) maintaining the independence of the imagination
(B) the representation of ideas ( true) 
(C) accurate depiction of surface detail
(D) human activities
(E) the presentation of moral dilemmas

Painters, as if shamed by the precision of photo-graphic images, began to paint not the greatest number of the greatest ideas, which art critic John Ruskin had held before than as a goa

8. The author refers to Dickens (Text in Red) to illustrate which of the following?

(A) The degree to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to disassociate themselves from their predecessors
(B) The excessive faithfulness to detail that characterized Dickens' work
(C) The manner in which the development of photography influenced even nongraphic art
(D) The unbroken connection between positivist philosophers and the major novelists of the nineteenth century
(E) The extent to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to have their work defined as realistic  (True)

Dickens defends some work with putting 30 cases. Shows the extent of novelist to have their work defined as something

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. According to the passage, those critical of Romantic poets and painters contended that the works of these artists

Explanation

The passage discusses the changing attitudes toward the role of imagination in creating reality during the mid-nineteenth century. The adherents of positivism argued that nature is independent of the imagination and that knowledge consists only in the proper connection of sense data. Historians like von Ranke and Buckle argued that the existence of  "objective fact"  enabled them to record with accuracy what actually happened in the past. The advent of photography in the 1850s provided evidence for an objective reality independent of the imagination, which challenged the Romantic poets and painters who had previously worked to prove that the imagination creates reality.

The passage states that the painters' position became untenable with the advent of photography because the mindless photograph challenged the poet or painter to deny that an objective, despicable nature was out there separate from the mind. Painters began to paint not the greatest number of the greatest ideas, but the greatest amount of accurate surface detail. Therefore, the critical of Romantic poets and painters contended that the works of these artists presented a false representation of reality.

The question asks what the critics of Romantic poets and painters contended about their works. The passage states that  "hostile critics had found it easy to dispute such claims,"  which implies that the critics did not believe that the works of the Romantic poets and painters presented an accurate representation of reality. Therefore, the correct answer is  (C)  presented a false representation of reality. Answer  choices (A), (B), (D) , and  (E)  are incorrect because they are not supported by the passage.

The passage does not mention empiricism in relation to the works of Romantic poets and painters, so  (A)  is incorrect.

While the advent of photography challenged the position of Romantic poets and painters, the passage does not suggest that critics of Romantic poets and painters used photographs as evidence against their works, so  (B)  is incorrect.

The passage does not mention social reality in relation to the works of Romantic poets and painters, so  (D)  is incorrect.

The passage states that painters began to paint accurate surface details, but it does not suggest that Romantic poets and painters made no attempt to depict nature, so  (E)  is incorrect.

Therefore, the correct answer is  (C)  presented a false representation of reality.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. It can be inferred that, in presenting an account of nineteenth-century thought, the author of the pas-sage assumes which of the following?

Explanation

The passage discusses the changing attitudes toward reality and imagination during the mid-nineteenth century, as evidenced in philosophy, history, painting, literature, and opera. The author assumes that trends in one area of thought or art often coincide with concurrent trends in other areas. Therefore, the correct answer is  (D) .

(A)  is incorrect because although the passage mentions that the work of painters and novelists was influenced by changing attitudes in philosophy and history, it does not state that these changes were direct or intentional.

(B)  is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage to support the claim that artists in any area of the creative arts imitate other artists in their area.

(C)  is incorrect because the passage does not make a direct comparison between Realist and Romantic artists or make any statement about the relative sophistication of either group.

(E)  is incorrect because the passage only discusses the mid-nineteenth century and makes no direct comparison to the preceding century.

Answer: D .

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. The changes in mid-nineteenth century artistic expression, as they are described in the passage, would have been LEAST likely to result in which of the following?

Explanation

The passage discusses the changes in artistic expression in the mid-nineteenth century, which were driven by a growing concern with representing the  "real"  external world. This concern was influenced by developments in philosophy and technology, such as the rise of positivism and the advent of photography, which challenged the Romantic notion that the imagination creates reality.

The passage mentions that painters,  "shamed by the precision of photographic images,"  began to focus on  "the greatest amount of accurate surface detail"  in their work. Similarly, the passage describes how novelists of the time  "strived to convince readers of the real-life accuracy of their fictions."  The focus on accuracy and verisimilitude is also apparent in the increasing concern with naturalness in opera.

Given this context, it is unlikely that a painting depicting the triumph in battle of a mythical Greek hero would result from these changes in artistic expression. Such a painting would not be concerned with representing the  "real"  external world, but rather with depicting a mythological or legendary event. It would not be focused on accurate surface detail, but on creating a heroic or fantastical image. Therefore,  option D)  is the correct answer.

Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. According to the passage, which of the following was one of the tenets held by Romantic artists?

Explanation

The passage discusses the changing attitudes towards the concept of reality in the mid-nineteenth century. Early nineteenth-century European intellectuals and artists believed that the willful, energetic dynamism of the human imagination creates what we know of reality. However, this belief was challenged by the adherents of positivism, historians like von Ranke and Buckle, and W. K. Clifford. The rapid changes in photography during the 1850s provided evidence for an objective reality independent of the imagination. Painters began to focus on accurate surface detail rather than the greatest number of the greatest ideas. Novels and opera also showed a growing concern with the  "real"  external world. The passage implies that Romantic artists believed that reality is constituted by the action of the human mind. Therefore, the correct answer is  (B) .

Option (A)  is incorrect because there is no mention of Romantic artists' belief in patient examination of small details.

Option (C)  is partially correct, as the passage discusses how art turned towards mirroring social reality.

Option (D)  is incorrect because the passage describes how painters moved away from extravagance of style.

Option (E)  is also incorrect as there is no mention of the form of art expressing the function of its elements.

In summary, the correct answer is  (B)  because the passage states that Romantic artists believed that reality is constituted by the action of the human mind, which is challenged by the belief in an objective reality independent of the imagination in the mid-nineteenth century.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. According to the passage, Ruskin recommended that painters concern themselves with

Explanation

The passage explains how the belief that the imagination creates reality was being reshaped in the mid-nineteenth century. The adherents of positivism argued that nature is independent of the imagination, and historians argued that objective facts enabled them to record with accuracy what actually happened in the past. With the advent of photography, painters' efforts to prove that the imagination creates reality were completely undermined. Painters began to paint the greatest amount of accurate surface detail, and art turned toward mirroring social reality.

The passage mentions John Ruskin, an art critic, who held the goal of the greatest number of the greatest ideas in painting before the mid-nineteenth century. However, painters' efforts to convince others that their versions of the world were real were challenged by the advent of photography, and they began to paint accurate surface detail. Therefore, the correct answer is  (B)  the representation of ideas, as Ruskin believed in painting the greatest number of the greatest ideas before the mid-nineteenth century.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. The author's use of the word "mindless" (Highlighted) implies that he believes that which of the following is true of mid-nineteenth-century views of photography?

Explanation

The author argues in the passage that by the mid-nineteenth century, there was a growing belief in an objective reality independent of the imagination. This was in contrast to the earlier Romantic view that the imagination creates reality. The advent of photography in the 1850s provided evidence for this objective reality and challenged the idea that the imagination creates reality. Painters, in response, began to focus on accurate surface detail rather than the greatest number of the greatest ideas. Similarly, novelists strove to convince readers of the real-life accuracy of their fictions, and there was increased concern with verisimilitude on the stage.

With this context in mind, we can understand the author's use of the word  "mindless"  to describe photography. The word implies that the content of a photograph was not influenced by the photographer's imagination or creativity. In other words, a photograph was seen as a direct representation of an objective reality that existed independent of the photographer's perspective or interpretation. This is captured by option  (B) , which correctly states that a photograph's content was regarded as completely uninfluenced by the photographer.

Option (A)  is incorrect because the passage does not suggest that photographers were regarded as creative artists.

Option (C)  is incorrect because the passage does not suggest that photographs could not be analyzed in the way paintings could.

Option (D)  is incorrect because the passage does not make a comparison between the artistic techniques of painting and photography.

Option (E)  is incorrect because the passage specifically discusses the relative accuracy of paintings and photographs and suggests that the accuracy of photographs challenged the earlier Romantic view that the imagination creates reality.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. The passage implies by the phrase "to mirror social reality" (Highlighted) that mid-nineteenth-century painters attempted to

Explanation

The passage discusses how the belief that the imagination creates reality was challenged in the mid-nineteenth century by the rise of positivism and the development of photography. Painters responded to this challenge by focusing on accurate surface detail to mirror social reality. The phrase  "to mirror social reality"  means to reproduce faithfully what they saw around them. Therefore, the correct answer is  (C)  reproduce faithfully what they saw around them.

Option (A) , depicting the truth of character behind the mask of physical appearance, is not supported by the passage.

Option (B) , conveying their own unique vision of people in social settings, is mentioned as a goal of art critic John Ruskin, but not as a response to the challenge of positivism and photography.

Option (D) , concentrating primarily on the refinement of technique, is not mentioned in the passage as a goal of mid-nineteenth-century painters.

Option (E) , intensifying their imaginative visions by exaggerating surface detail, is the opposite of what the passage describes, as painters moved away from imaginative visions and focused on accurate surface detail to mirror social reality.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

8. The author refers to Dickens (Text in Red) to illustrate which of the following?

Explanation

The correct answer is  (E)  The extent to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to have their work defined as realistic.

The passage discusses how the idea of an objective reality independent of the imagination was becoming prevalent in the mid-nineteenth century due to advancements in fields such as philosophy, history, and photography. The passage also mentions how painters and novelists were affected by this growing concern with the  “real”  external world, and how they began to focus on accurately mirroring social reality in their works.

The author cites Dickens in the context of defending the symbolic episode of Krook's spontaneous combustion as documented fact in the preface to Bleak House. This illustrates that Dickens wished to have his work defined as realistic, indicating that the extent to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to have their work defined as realistic is the correct answer.

(A)  is incorrect because the passage does not discuss the degree to which nineteenth-century novelists wished to disassociate themselves from their predecessors.

(B)  is incorrect because although the passage mentions painters shifting from the greatest number of the greatest ideas to the greatest amount of accurate surface detail, it does not discuss Dickens' excessive faithfulness to detail.

(C)  is incorrect because the passage discusses the influence of the development of photography on the creative arts, but not on nongraphic art specifically.

(D)  is incorrect because the passage does not discuss an unbroken connection between positivist philosophers and major novelists of the nineteenth century.

Answer: E

VerbalBot · Answer

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By the mid-nineteenth century, the conviction of early nineteenth

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