{"id":2885,"date":"2013-12-24T03:16:19","date_gmt":"2013-12-24T10:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/?p=2885"},"modified":"2022-11-15T17:35:14","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T12:05:14","slug":"og13-123-renaissance-oil-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-gmat.com\/blogs\/og13-123-renaissance-oil-paintings\/","title":{"rendered":"OG13 #123 – Renaissance Oil Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"A <\/span> 6<\/span> min read <\/span><\/span>\n

Museums that house Renaissance oil paintings typically store them in environments that are carefully kept within narrow margins of temperature and humidity to inhibit any deterioration. Laboratory tests have shown that the kind of oil paint used in these paintings actually adjusts to climatic changes quite well. If, as some museum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

directors believe, paint is the most sensitive substance in these works<\/strong>, <\/em>then by relaxing the standards for temperature and humidity control, museums can reduce energy costs without risking damage to these <\/strong>paintings<\/strong>. <\/em>Museums would be rash to relax those standards, however, since results of preliminary tests indicate that gesso, a compound routinely used by Renaissance artists to help paint adhere to the canvas, is unable to withstand significant variations in humidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A. The first is an objection that has been raised against the position taken by the argument; the second is the position taken by the argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B. The first is the position taken by the argument; the second is the position that the argument calls into question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C. The first is a judgment that has been offered in support of the position that the argument calls into question; the second is a circumstance on which that judgment is, in part, based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D. The first is a judgment that has been offered in support of the position that the argument calls into question; the second is that position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

E. The first is a claim that the argument calls into question; the second is the position taken by the argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Passage Analysis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

(1) Museums that house Renaissance oil paintings typically store them in environments that are carefully kept within narrow margins of temperature and humidity to inhibit any deterioration.:<\/span> This is a fact. This statement talks about the climatic conditions in which particular kind of paintings (Renaissance Oil) are kept in the museums. These conditions basically deal with controlling the temperature and humidity of the environment in which these paintings are kept so that they do not get spoilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) Laboratory tests have shown that the kind of oil paint used in these paintings actually adjusts to climatic changes quite well.:<\/span> This is a fact. According to this statement certain lab test have shown that the oil used in the Renaissance Oil paintings adjust well with the climatic changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) If, as some museum directors believe, paint is the most sensitive substance in these works<\/strong>\u2026<\/em><\/span> : This is an opinion held\/judgment by some museum directors. According to this judgment, paint is the most sensitive element in the Renaissance Oil Paintings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/em>(4) \u2026then by relaxing the standards for temperature and humidity control, museums can reduce energy costs without risking damage to these paintings<\/strong>.<\/em><\/span>: This is the author\u2019s judgment which is based on the opinion held by museum directors (as discussed above in point No.3). According to this portion of the statement, the author says that if the belief held by some museum directors (paint is the most sensitive element in these paintings) is considered, then these museums can relax the stringent climate control regulations. Doing so, these museums can cut down on their energy-consumption bills, without putting the paintings at a considerable risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(5) Museums would be rash to relax those standards, however,<\/span> \u2026: This is another judgment by the author. The author goes against his earlier opinion (expressed in point 4), as marked by the key-word \u201chowever\u201d in the phrase. The author opines that it would be a hasty decision on the museums\u2019 part to actually relax the climate-control regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(6) since results of preliminary tests indicate that gesso, a compound routinely used by Renaissance artists to help paint adhere to the canvas, is unable to withstand significant variations in humidity<\/span>. : This is a fact. Just before this, the author opines that it would be a hasty decision on the museums\u2019 part to actually relax the climate-control regulations. In this portion of the statement, the author gives reason for this opinion. The reason is that initial experiments suggest that another element present in the Renaissance Oil paintings (gesso) cannot adjust to significant changes in the humidity levels. Please note that controlling the humidity was one of the environment controls talked about in the first statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pre-thinking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After the passage analysis, we should be able to pre-think the correct answer choice quite comfortably. Infact, bold-face questions are one of the two question categories, the other one being assumption, that lend itself easily to pre-thinking. Let\u2019s extract our analysis of the two bold-face portions (as presented above):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) If, as some museum directors believe, paint is the most sensitive substance in these works<\/strong>\u2026<\/em><\/span> :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/em>(4) \u2026then by relaxing the standards for temperature and humidity control, museums can reduce energy costs without risking damage to these paintings<\/strong>.<\/em><\/span>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n