An artist must suffer for his art say these successful entrepreneurs w

Question

An artist must suffer for his art say these successful entrepreneurs who attempt to pass themselves off as artists. They auction off to the highest bidder, usually a fool in his own right, the most mediocre of drawings; and then, from their well-laid tables, they have the unmitigated gall to imply that they themselves.

Which of the following must underlie the author’s position?

(A) One must actually suffer to do great art.

(B) Financial deprivation is the only suffering an artist undergoes.

(C) Art critics have little real expertise and are consequently easily deceived.

(D) Most mediocre artists are fools.

(E) All successful entrepreneurs are fools.

Source:  Master GMAT

Harsh2111s · Answer

Can anyone explain this answer ?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

Choice (B)  is an assumption of the author because the inconsistency of which the author accuses others would disappear if, though they were not poor, they nonetheless endured great suffering, e.g., emotional pain or poor health.

(A)  is not an assumption of the author. The author is trying to prove the existence of a contradiction in another’s words and actions: It is the others who insist suffering is necessary. The author never says one way or the other whether suffering is necessary to produce art— only that these others claim it is, and then eat well.

(C)  incorrectly construes the author’s reference to purchasers of art. There is no mention of the role of the critic.

(D) and (E)  both make the mistake of applying the term “fools” to a category other than  “bidders.”

The correct answer is (B).

Hope it helps

navderm · Answer

I thought this was a 'find the conclusion'/'must be true' type question. 
Looks like this is 'assumption' type question.

Can someone explain what the question is asking ?

abhishekujjawal · Answer

To determine which statement must underlie the author's position, let's analyze the given passage and the answer choices:

The passage criticizes entrepreneurs who pose as artists and sell mediocre drawings to gullible buyers. It suggests that these entrepreneurs have the audacity to imply they are true artists.

From this, we can infer that the author's position is that true art requires some form of suffering, which these entrepreneurs do not experience. Thus, the correct answer must align with this perspective.

(A) **One must actually suffer to do great art.**
- This statement supports the idea that true art requires suffering. However, it doesn't specifically address the type of suffering, making it a strong candidate but not definitive based on the passage alone.

(B) **Financial deprivation is the only suffering an artist undergoes.**
- This statement is more specific and implies that financial hardship is the suffering required for true art. The passage implies that these entrepreneurs do not face this financial deprivation and therefore cannot produce true art. This aligns with the author's critique of the entrepreneurs' comfortable lifestyle.

(C) **Art critics have little real expertise and are consequently easily deceived.**
- The passage does not discuss art critics or their expertise, so this is not relevant.

(D) **Most mediocre artists are fools.**
- While the passage mentions that buyers are fools, it does not discuss the intelligence of mediocre artists.

(E) **All successful entrepreneurs are fools.**
- The passage criticizes the entrepreneurs but does not state that all successful entrepreneurs are fools.

Given these options, **B** directly aligns with the author's implication that suffering, specifically financial deprivation, is essential for creating true art, which these entrepreneurs lack. Thus, the correct answer is indeed **B**.

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An artist must suffer for his art say these successful entrepreneurs w

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