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Difficulty: MediumInferences from the Text

In the 1820s, artisans at the Gobelins tapestry manufactory lodged formal complaints regarding the chemical quality of black dye supplied to their workshops. They alleged that the dye was defective because black yarn woven adjacent to blue fabric appeared noticeably tinged with reddish-brown, whereas the same black yarn woven adjacent to yellow fabric retained a deep, uniform tone. Tasked with diagnosing the chemical defect, chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul performed quantitative assays on the problematic yarns and determined that their chemical composition, dye concentration, and mordant purity were identical to those of black yarns deemed satisfactory. Chevreul deduced that the perceived discoloration was not a physical defect of the dye, but an optical phenomenon: the human visual system perceives any color in relation to bordering colors, unconsciously generating the complementary hue of an adjacent field and superimposing it upon neighboring surfaces. Because the visual complement of blue is orange-red, black yarn bordered by blue appeared tinged with reddish-brown, whereas yellow's complement (purple) actually enhanced the perceived depth of adjacent black. Consequently, Chevreul concluded that chemically modifying the dye formulation would not resolve the artisans' dissatisfaction.

Which of the following statements regarding the black yarn at the Gobelins manufactory is most strongly supported by the passage?

  1. A
    The black yarn woven adjacent to blue fabric degraded at an accelerated rate because exposure to blue pigment induced a photochemical breakdown of the black dye.
  2. B
    The black yarn used in the manufactory required significantly higher concentrations of mordant when paired with light backgrounds than when paired with dark backgrounds.
  3. A segment of black yarn that appeared tinged with reddish-brown in one tapestry would have appeared deep and uniform if it had been woven adjacent to yellow fabric instead.Answer
  4. D
    The artisans intentionally mischaracterized the nature of the dye defect in order to conceal shortcomings in their own weaving techniques.
  5. E
    Chevreul recommended that the manufactory abandon the use of blue dye in all tapestries that contained black yarn.

Answer

A segment of black yarn that appeared tinged with reddish-brown in one tapestry would have appeared deep and uniform if it had been woven adjacent to yellow fabric instead.
The passage demonstrates that the black yarns were chemically identical and that the perceived reddish-brown tinge was entirely an optical byproduct of being placed next to blue fabric. Because the passage explicitly notes that black yarn bordered by yellow appeared deep and uniform due to yellow's complementary hue, taking that same yarn and bordering it with yellow would produce that deep, uniform visual effect.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the premises regarding the yarn's physical state versus its perceived appearance.
Chevreul's quantitative assays established that all the black yarns had identical chemical composition, dye saturation, and mordant purity regardless of where they were woven.
This establishes that the variation in perceived color was not an intrinsic property of the yarn itself.
2
Identify the causal mechanism behind the perceived color shift.
The visual system superimposes the complementary color of the adjacent field onto the target yarn: blue generates an orange-red complement (causing the reddish-brown tint), while yellow generates a purple complement (enhancing depth).
The apparent color of the black yarn is solely a function of the neighboring color field.
3
Synthesize the findings to evaluate the hypothetical transfer of yarn.
Since the yarn appearing discolored was chemically indistinguishable from yarn that appeared deep and uniform, placing it next to yellow fabric would subject it to yellow's complement, rendering it deep and uniform.
This directly validates the inference that changing the adjacent context changes the perceived appearance of the identical yarn.

Key Concept

Textual Inference via Causal Mechanism and Environmental Context
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Inferences from the Text

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