SAT Reading & Writing · Command of Evidence (textual)
A curator claims that a museum's newly acquired painting was created by a specific well-known Renaissance workshop, based primarily on its…
A curator claims that a museum's newly acquired painting was created by a specific well-known Renaissance workshop, based primarily on its stylistic similarity to other confirmed works from that workshop. Which finding would most directly support the curator's claim?
Answer and explanation
Answer: D: Pigment analysis of the newly acquired painting matches the specific, unusual mineral composition found only in materials documented as used by that particular workshop during the relevant years.
The curator's claim rests on attribution to a specific workshop, and D directly supports that with independent physical evidence, matching pigment composition unique to that workshop, that doesn't depend on stylistic judgment alone. A and B are general background facts about Renaissance art that could apply to countless other paintings. C is provenance history unrelated to the question of who created the painting.
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