LSAT Explanation PT 20, S4, Q9: Curator: The decision to restore the

LSAT Question Stem

The assertion that a later artist tampered with Veronese's painting serves which one of the following functions in the curator's argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Method of Reasoning question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the passage's argument structure:

Premise (1): Reliable tests show that the red pigment was applied after the painting had been completed

Premise (2): The red paint was not mixed in Veronese's workshop

Subsidiary Conclusion: An artist other than Veronese tampered with his painting after its completion

Main Conclusion: The decision to restore the cloak of the central figure in Veronese's painting from its present red to the green found underneath is fully justified

The question type for this problem is Method of Reasoning (MOR), which asks us to identify the function of a statement within the argument. In this case, we need to determine the function of the assertion that a later artist tampered with Veronese's painting.

Now let's go through the answer choices:

a) It is the main point toward which the argument as a whole is directed.

This answer choice is incorrect because the main conclusion of the argument is the decision to restore the cloak's color, not the tampering by a later artist.

b) It is a subsidiary conclusion that supports the argument's main conclusion.

This is the correct answer choice. The assertion that a later artist tampered with the painting serves as a subsidiary conclusion, which is supported by the two premises and, in turn, supports the main conclusion.

c) It is a clarification of a key term of the argument.

This answer choice is incorrect because the statement does not clarify any key terms in the argument.

d) It is a particular instance of the general position to be defended.

This answer choice is incorrect because there is no general position in the curator's argument that needs defending. The argument is specifically about the restoration of the cloak's color in Veronese's painting.

e) It is a reiteration of the main point that is made for the sake of emphasis.

This answer choice is incorrect because the assertion about a later artist tampering with the painting is not a reiteration of the main point. Instead, it provides a rationale for the main conclusion by explaining why the decision to restore the color of the cloak is justified.