In a recent study conducted by social scientists, it was discovered

Question

In a recent study conducted by social scientists, it was discovered that artisans in the 17th-century European art market were more likely to receive commissions if they were part of a formal guild. The researchers hypothesize that joining a guild provided artists with access to influential patrons, thereby increasing their chances of securing high-paying commissions. Thus, the study concludes that guild membership played a significant role in determining an artist's economic success during the 17th century.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the researchers' argument?

(A) The majority of successful artists during the 17th century were also skilled in other crafts, such as woodworking or metalworking.
(B) Many artists who were not part of a guild attempted to secure commissions but were often unsuccessful.
(C) Guild membership fees were relatively expensive and only accessible to those who already had some degree of financial stability.
(D) Guilds often organized exhibitions and public events where their members could showcase their art to potential patrons.
(E) Many aspiring artists during the 17th century traveled extensively throughout Europe to learn from different masters and develop their artistic skills.

thelastskybender · Answer

Conclusion: guild membership played a significant role in determining an artist's economic success during the 17th century.

B talks about artists who were not part of a guild. Hence this option is irrelevant.

D is our answer.

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EMPOWERgmatVerbal · Answer

A recent study concludes that joining a guild increased artisans' chances of securing high-paying commissions in the 17th-century European art market, hypothesizing that guilds provided access to influential patrons.

Type  : Strengthen
  Boil It Down  : Guild membership -> More commissions -> Economic success
  Missing Information  : Guilds provided tangible opportunities to secure patrons
  Goal  :  Find the option that provides additional support to the researchers' hypothesis 
  Analysis  : To strengthen the argument, we need to find evidence that supports the hypothesis about guilds providing access to influential patrons, which leads to more commissions and economic success.

A)  Other skills of artists, such as woodworking or metalworking, are irrelevant to the argument about guild membership and its impact on commissions.

B)  This option tells us about non-guild artists' attempts to secure commissions, but it doesn't add any information on how guild membership might have benefited those who had it.

C)  While this information about membership fees might be interesting, it doesn't strengthen the argument about how guild membership led to more commissions.

D)    Yes. By organizing exhibitions and public events, guilds provided their members with opportunities to showcase their art to potential patrons. This directly strengthens the argument that guild membership led to more commissions and economic success.

E)  The travels and learning experiences of aspiring artists are not related to the argument about the role of guild membership in securing commissions.

Additional Analysis About Option D) 
The core of the argument is that guild membership provided artists with access to influential patrons, leading to more commissions. Option D strengthens this by explaining one of the ways in which guilds could provide such access: through organized exhibitions and public events.

Bigger GMAT Picture  :
On GMAT Strengthen questions, look for an answer choice that supports the argument's reasoning or provides additional evidence in favor of the conclusion. Remember, a strengthening statement doesn't have to prove the argument conclusively; it just needs to make the conclusion more likely to be true.

In a recent study conducted by social scientists, it was discovered

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In a recent study conducted by social scientists, it was discovered

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