Art Historian: Recently, Computer Analysis has Revealed that a Few of a Famous Flemish Artist’s

Question: Art Historian: Recently, computer analysis has revealed that a few of famous Flemish artists’ works are forgeries, and are actually the work of noted forger Elmyr de Hory. While such a development may emit violent reverberations through the art world, even those museums that have a wealth of Flemish artist in their collections should not be overly concerned. Hundreds of this Flemish artists’ works were tested to determine whether they were forgeries, yet only a slim few turned out to be actual forgeries. Thus, the master’s reputation as one of the greatest artists humanity has ever produced will surely remain undiminished.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the art historian’s conclusion?

1. The computer analysis involved is more likely to mistake an actual work as a forgery than to mistake a forgery as an actual work.
2. Many of the Flemish artist’s well known portraits are in the collection of private owners and were therefore not subjected to computer analysis.
3. Some of the works upon which Flemish artist’s standing rests were identified by the computer analysis to be the work of de Hory.
4. Some museums, worrying that their most prized painting from the Flemish artist would be deemed forgeries, and thus lose value, only offered up the artist’s lesser known works for computer analysis.
5. Though few in the art world dispute the outcome of the computer analysis of the Flemish artist’s work, many contend that the identified forgeries are not the work of Elmyr de Hory but some other highly skilled forger.

“Art Historian: Recently, Computer Analysis has Revealed that a Few of a Famous Flemish Artist’s” – is a topic of GMAT critical Reasoning. This GMAT Critical Reasoning topic has been taken from the book ‘501 GMAT Questions’. In this question, the candidates need to provide an option that does not support the argument provided in the passage. GMAT critical reasoning tests the logical and analytical skills of the candidates. Critical reasoning in GMAT requires candidates to find the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, or find the logical flaw in the argument.  The GMAT CR section contains 10 -13 GMAT critical reasoning questions out of 36 GMAT verbal questions. 

Answer: C
Explanation: This is a GMAT critical reasoning question. An assumption is an implied hypothesis. So we are looking for something that is implied in the argument. In case it is wrong or maybe disable the argument.

Let us check the given assumptions that cast the most doubt on the art historian’s conclusion:

1. It suggests that there is a greater likelihood that the computer program identified actual paintings as forgeries than the other way around. So even fewer than a ‘slim few’ are actually forgeries. If anything, (A) weakens the argument.
2. There is no reason in the given argument to assume that the collections of private owners will have many more forgeries. The argument doesn't say that all his paintings were tested. It only says that many were tested and very few turned out to be forgeries. Additionally, it doesn't count that the ones owned by museums were tested or the ones in the collection of private owners. Ideally, we might believe that museums are more thorough in their research before they buy/accept paintings, and hence they will have fewer forgeries but it is an assumption we need to make.
3. In statetment C we see some works of the artist while the rests were forgeries. So the small percentage were forgeries. The forgeries are the ones on which the artist's depends. Then obviously, his standing/reputation will be diminished. This certainly strengthens the conclusion.
4. Option D elaborates that important paintings were not tested. Here, we cannot come to any conclusion that the artist's reputation is undiminished. We need to imagine that there will be forgeries in the works on which his standing depends i.e. in the most prized collection. So there is an assumption involved here too.
5. It introduced some other highly skilled forger. But it didn't attack the conclusion. Even if the forgeries are the work of another skilled forger, then what? The data told us that forgeries are FEW, so this option changes nothing of the argument.

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