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Question

Difficulty: MediumIdentifying Main Conclusions

Some art historians argue that the painting Tobias and the Angel should be reclassified as primarily a work of Leonardo da Vinci rather than his master, Andrea del Verrocchio. This proposed reclassification is fundamentally misguided. Laboratory analysis of the painting does reveal brushwork characteristics distinctly matching those of a young da Vinci, and Verrocchio routinely allowed senior apprentices to execute significant portions of his commissions. Thus, da Vinci almost certainly painted the majority of the figures in this specific piece. Nevertheless, Renaissance definitions of authorship dictate that a painting belongs to the master whose workshop contracted and supervised the piece, regardless of whose hand actually applied the paint.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?

  1. The proposal to reclassify Tobias and the Angel as primarily a work of Leonardo da Vinci is flawed.Answer
  2. B
    Leonardo da Vinci is almost certainly responsible for painting the majority of the figures in Tobias and the Angel.
  3. C
    Renaissance standards of authorship assigned ownership of a painting to the master who secured the commission.
  4. D
    Some art historians have recently begun arguing that Tobias and the Angel should be reclassified as a work by Leonardo da Vinci.
  5. E
    The brushwork characteristics of a young Leonardo da Vinci are easily distinguishable from those of Andrea del Verrocchio.

Answer

The main conclusion is that the proposal to reclassify Tobias and the Angel as primarily a work of Leonardo da Vinci is flawed.
The correct answer accurately captures the author's central claim: that the effort to reclassify the painting is misguided. Every other part of the argument—the background context, the intermediate conclusion about who painted the figures, and the premise about Renaissance authorship—serves ultimately to explain or support this overarching point.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to separate the author's voice from opposing viewpoints.
The first sentence introduces a view held by 'some art historians'. The second sentence represents the author's rejection of that view.
Identifying shifts in perspective helps isolate the author's primary argument.
2
Identify the structural role of the indicator word 'Thus'.
The statement following 'Thus' (da Vinci painted the majority of the figures) is a conclusion supported by the preceding evidence of brushwork and workshop practices.
Indicator words signal logical relationships, but must be evaluated in the context of the whole passage to determine if they point to an intermediate or main conclusion.
3
Determine the relationship between the conclusion indicated by 'Thus' and the author's initial claim.
The statement about da Vinci painting the figures is an intermediate conclusion. The author concedes this fact, but introduces another premise ('Nevertheless, Renaissance definitions...') to prove that the initial claim (reclassification is misguided) remains true.
A main conclusion must be supported by the other statements and must not logically support any other statement in the argument.

Key Concept

Identifying the main conclusion in arguments containing intermediate conclusions and opposing viewpoints.
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Topics

Identifying Main Conclusions

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