Critical Reasoning

Cézanne's art inspired the next generation of artists, twentieth-century modernist creators of abstract art. While most experts rank Cézanne as an early modernist, a small few reject this idea. Françoise Cachin, for example, bluntly states that such an ascription is "overplayed," and says that Cézanne's work is "too often observed from a modern point of view."


Which one of the following statements is most
strongly supported by the information above?

(A) Cézanne's work is highly controversial.

(B) Cézanne was an early creator of abstract art.

(C) Cézanne's work helped to develop modernism.

(D) Modern art owes less to Cézanne than many
experts believe.

(E) Cézanne's work tends to be misinterpreted as
modernist

Let's start by clearing the decks some by eliminating some obviously wrong answer choices.

(A) Cézanne's work is highly controversial.

This seems wrong. A few experts rejecting the idea of ranking Cézanne as an early modernist does not make Cézanne's work highly controversial.

(B) Cézanne was an early creator of abstract art.

Notice the key thing here. Cézanne is not said to have created abstract art. Rather he is said to have inspired creators of abstract art. So this is out.

So we are already down to three choices.

(C) Cézanne's work helped to develop modernism.

This looks as if it's the answer. There is disagreement, but the disagreement centers around whether Cézanne himself was a modernist. The first statement, "Cézanne's art inspired the next generation of artists, twentieth-century modernist creators of abstract art." is stated as an undisputed fact, and that statement supports the idea that Cézanne's work helped to develop modernism.

(D) Modern art owes less to Cézanne than many
experts believe.

This one does to a degree match things said in the prompt, but notice the key thing, the one word that matters, "few". A "small few" reject the idea that Cézanne should be ranked as a modernist. I am not even certain whether the dispute over ranking as a modernist is what "Modern art owes less to Cézanne" is even referring to, but that does not matter because the prompt mentions "few" who reject the idea, not "many".

(E) Cézanne's work tends to be misinterpreted as
modernist

The prompt does not even support the conclusion that Cézanne's work is not modernist. If it's not clear that the work is not modernist, then one cannot conclude that the work is misinterpreted as modernist.

So this is out, and since it's the only one that works, the best answer is C.

Marty,

E) Cézanne's work tends to be misinterpreted as
modernist

option E can also be eliminated in below way:

"tends" means "most." so Cézanne's work is misinterpreted by MOST but, according to stimulus , Cézanne's work is rejected by A FEW.


Does this sounds correct?

Cézanne's art inspired the next generation of artists, twentieth-century modernist creators of abstract art. While most experts rank Cézanne as an early modernist, a small few reject this idea. Françoise Cachin, for example, bluntly states that such an ascription is "overplayed," and says that Cézanne's work is "too often observed from a modern point of view."

Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the information above?

A. Cézanne's work is highly controversial.
B. Cézanne was an early creator of abstract art.
C. Cézanne's work helped to develop modernism.
D. Modern art owes less to Cézanne than many experts believe.
E. Cézanne's work tends to be misinterpreted as modernist.

Most experts believe that Cézanne himself was a modernist; a few disagree.
But no one disputes the following: Cézanne's art inspired the next generation of...modernist creators of abstract art.
This statement supports answer choice C: Cézanne's work helped to develop modernism.

The correct answer is C.

vishalwin wrote:E) Cézanne's work tends to be misinterpreted as
modernist

option E can also be eliminated in below way:

"tends" means "most." so Cézanne's work is misinterpreted by MOST but, according to stimulus , Cézanne's work is rejected by A FEW.


Does this sounds correct?

That is not correct, because, while what you said about most and tends is correct, misinterpreted means something different from what rejected means.

E is actually a trick answer.

The prompt says "most experts rank Cézanne as an early modernist". If you somehow incorrectly gather from the rest of the prompt that those experts are mistaken, then you could match most with tends and say that the prompt supports E.

E is actually a trick answer.

The prompt does not even support the conclusion that Cézanne's work is not modernist. If it's not clear that the work is not modernist, then one cannot conclude that the work is misinterpreted as modernist.


The prompt says "most experts rank Cézanne as an early modernist". If you somehow incorrectly gather from the rest of the prompt that those experts are mistaken, then you could match most with tends and say that the prompt supports E.

I understood both the above points but can you please explain the solution given in book about option E:

"Answer choice (E): The word "tends" is the problem in this answer choice. Logically, "tends" means
"most." So, according to answer choice (E), Cézanne's work is usually misinterpreted as modernist.

The stimulus disagrees with this view: only a "small few" reject the categorization of Cézanne as a modernist
whereas the majority accepts it.
Further, the disagreement in the stimulus involves art experts, and from their view we would dispute answer choice (E).

Answer choice (E) can also be understood as involving all interpretation of Cézanne's work-whether by art expert or not-and from this perspective the answer is still unsupported since the views of others are not discussed in the stimulus."

can you please explain the solution given in book about option E:

Answer choice (E): The word "tends" is the problem in this answer choice. Logically, "tends" means
"most." So, according to answer choice (E), Cézanne's work is usually misinterpreted as modernist.

The stimulus disagrees with this view: only a "small few" reject the categorization of Cézanne as a modernist
whereas the majority accepts it.

This explanation is not well written, but what I think it means to say is that given that what the prompt says is that the majority accept the categorization of Cézanne as a modernist, saying that his work is misinterpreted as modernist does not make sense.