PrepTest 145 - Section 3 - Passage 2 - Question 12

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It is commonly assumed that even if some forgeries have aesthetic merit, no forgery has as much as an original by the imitated artist would. ███

Common belief · Forgeries can't be as good aesthetically as originals

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Conflicting fact · Art specialists can mistake a forgery for an original

This suggests that, at least aesthetically, forgeries can be as good. (Ex. Han van Meegeren's Disciples painting; forged under signatures of Jan Vermeer and thought to be one of Vermeer's best works.)

Questions · Is forgery inherently inferior art? How can be judge forgeries as worse?

The fact that a fake can be confused for an original suggests that it's aesthetically as good.

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Lessing's answer · Lessing has an answer

We'll get the answer in the next paragraph.

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Lessing's answer · Forgeries are worse, but not because of aesthetics

Forgeries lack vision and originality, which are some of the qualities by which we judge art.

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Author's agreement with Lessing · van Meegeren's fake lacked historical significant

It didn't involve origination of the artistic techniques that Vermeer was known for. So, it was worse.

Passage Style

Single position

12.

The passage most strongly supports █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ███████████

In any historical ███████ ███ ████████ ██ █████ █ ████ ██ ██████████ ██ █ ███████ ███ ██ █ ██████ ██ ████████████ ███████

The author never suggests that the criteria for determining whether a work is a forgery is debated. Perhaps whether a particular work is a forgery is subject to debate, but we have no reason to think the criteria for determining that something is a forgery is debated.

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An artist who ████ ██████████ ████ ██████ ████ █████████ ██ ████ ██████ █ ███████

The author doesn’t suggest that using techniques of others makes one likely to be a forger. One can use the techniques others developed while having an original vision. In addition, using techniques of others may imply that one uses non-original techniques, but this doesn’t imply that one creates forgeries. What if an artist doesn’t try to pass off the work as someone else’s?

A successful forger ████ █████████ █ ███ ████████ ███████

Not supported, because one can be a successful forger simply by excelling aesthetically. Originality of vision is relevant to overall merit of a work, but this doesn’t imply originality is required for the aesthetic merit of a forgery.

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Not supported. Nothing the author says supports a comparison between the earlier and later works of an artist.

A painting can ██ █ ███████ ████ ██ ██ ██ ███ █ ████ ██ █ ██████████ ████████ ████ ██ ████

Supported by the fact that The Disciples at Emmaus is a forgery, even though it is not a copy a particular work. The author notes that the work is “painted under the forged signature of the acclaimed Dutch master Jan Vermeer.”

65%

PrepTest 145 - Section 3 - Passage 2 - Question 12

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