PrepTest 111, Section 2, Question 7

Working the answers

• A

  This turns the discussion into a comparison of Depression-era artists. We aren't told that Bearden alone depicted happier moments, and focusing on that distinction leaves out the technical achievement emphasized from the start.

• B
  Correct

  Perfecting his craft is one half; portraying African American life in its complexity is the other. Together they produce his distinctive vision. I might initially hesitate over “unique,” but the second paragraph itself describes a “unique layered and fragmented style.” The praise for his fresh creative vision also supports the answer. That word isn't a reason to reject the rest of an otherwise accurate main point.

• C

  Close: it mentions both technique and African American life. But its central claim is that Bearden expanded the techniques available to artists, while his social vision becomes something he managed not to sacrifice. The point is the art he created by bringing those two achievements together. B gives both their proper weight.

• D

  The comparison with other artists' supposed interest in sociological observation is unsupported. And technical perfection alone leaves out the rich portrayal of African American life.

• E

  We never learn that one side of his work has received more recognition than the other. Praising both achievements doesn't establish a history of unequal critical attention.