Question 116·Medium·Inferences
At the Bellamont Museum, a painting attributed to 19th-century artist Lidia Rossetti underwent conservation analysis. Infrared reflectography revealed an underdrawing that matched sketches from Rossetti’s notebook. X-ray fluorescence of the topmost paint layers detected titanium white and phthalocyanine blue—pigments that did not become commercially available until decades after Rossetti’s death in 1890. These pigments were concentrated in the sky and around the artist’s signature. Museum records note an extensive cleaning and toning treatment performed in 1952. Thus, it is most reasonable to infer that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For inference questions that ask what is "most reasonable to infer," first list the concrete facts the passage gives (dates, locations, scientific results, records). Then ask, “What conclusion must or very strongly follows from combining these facts—without adding new stories or speculations?” Eliminate choices that (1) contradict any stated fact, (2) introduce unsupported ideas (like hidden motives, secret technology, or unreliable methods), or (3) go far beyond what the evidence justifies. The remaining choice should be a moderate, text-based conclusion that ties together all the key clues.
Hints
Notice what the underdrawing shows
What does the fact that the underdrawing matches Rossetti’s notebook sketches tell you about whether the original painting is genuinely by her or not?
Focus on the pigment dates
Think about the statement that titanium white and phthalocyanine blue were not commercially available until well after 1890. What does that imply about who could have applied the paint that contains them?
Use the museum record
How might the 1952 "extensive cleaning and toning treatment" relate to the discovery of modern pigments in specific areas like the sky and around the signature?
Eliminate extreme or unsupported claims
Check each answer and ask: Does the passage directly support this, or is it guessing something more extreme than what the evidence shows?
Step-by-step Explanation
Collect the key factual clues
First, list the important details from the passage:
- The painting’s underdrawing (the sketch beneath the paint) matches Rossetti’s notebook sketches, which strongly supports that the original work is genuinely by Rossetti.
- The topmost paint layers contain titanium white and phthalocyanine blue, which did not become commercially available until decades after 1890, the year Rossetti died.
- These modern pigments are concentrated in the sky and around the artist’s signature.
- Museum records show an “extensive cleaning and toning treatment” in 1952.
You will need to connect these clues instead of bringing in outside assumptions.
Recognize the time conflict with the pigments
Focus on the dates:
- Rossetti died in 1890.
- The pigments detected did not become commercially available until decades after 1890.
Therefore, Rossetti could not have originally painted with these specific pigments. Any paint that contains them must have been applied after her death.
Connect the pigment locations with the 1952 treatment
Now connect where the modern pigments are found with the museum record:
- The modern pigments are found in the sky and around the artist’s signature.
- In 1952, there was an extensive cleaning and toning treatment. "Toning" usually means adjusting or adding paint to change or even out the appearance.
A reasonable, text-based inference is that during this 1952 work, some new paint was added or existing areas were altered, especially in the sky and around the signature, using the then-available modern pigments.
Choose the option that matches this logical inference
Now compare each answer choice to the logic you’ve built:
- The evidence says the underdrawing is authentic, so the painting is not a complete fake.
- Rossetti couldn’t have used pigments that didn’t exist yet.
- There’s no suggestion the instruments are unreliable.
- Instead, the most reasonable, supported conclusion is that some of the visible paint today—particularly in the sky and around the signature—was added or modified after Rossetti’s death, likely during the 1952 treatment.
So the correct answer is: D) some of the paint visible today, including part of the sky and signature, was added or modified decades after Rossetti died, likely during the 1952 treatment.