Question: The Mona Lisa, arguably the world's most famous painting, may be a masterpiece, but it is neither flawless nor incomparable. The hands are badly matched, the background is dull, and other portraits from the same period evince equally enigmatic expressions. The undue focus on this painting, along with the popularity of a few other pieces, prevents most people not only from seeing the painting for what it really is, but also from understanding the true scope of 15th and 16th century European painting.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for the argument's conclusion?

1. Most people do not believe that the Mona Lisa has any evident flaws..
2. The creator of the Mona Lisa, Leonardo DaVinci, did not regard the painting as his finest work.
3. It is possible for most people to understand the true scope of 15th and 16th century European painting.
4. Other European paintings of the 15th and 16th century were once better known than the Mona Lisa.
5. Most art scholars feel that The Last Supper is a superior painting to the Mona Lisa.

Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The argument of the passage asks here to support the conclusion. The conclusion of the passage is that the popularity of the painting averts most people from observing the flaws of the Mona Lisa painting. It also deters them from comprehending the true scope of 15th and 16th century European paintings. The answer choice A states that most people don’t think that the Mona Lisa painting has any evident flaws. This implies that most people are not observing the painting along with its flaws. They cannot observe the painting for what it really is. Therefore, the statement in this answer choice strengthens the conclusion of the passage. Hence, option A is the correct answer as it supports the claim of the passage. Let’s take a look at the other options.

Option B
The conclusion of the passage implies that the undue focus on painting averts most people from observing the flaws of the Mona Lisa painting. It also deters them from comprehending the true scope of 15th and 16th century European paintings. The answer choice B states that Leonardo DaVinci, the creator of the Mona Lisa, did not consider the painting as his best work. This answer states the opinion of Leonardo Da Vinci in reckoning the painting of the Mona Lisa. Therefore, the conclusion of the passage does not support the statement of this answer choice. It does not have anything to do with the view of the creator. The conclusion just deals with the view of most people who are not analysing the flaws and the true scope of the painting. Hence, option B is the incorrect answer choice since it does not strengthen the conclusion of the passage. This answer choice is thereby irrelevant to the given context of the passage. Therefore, option B gets eliminated.

Option C
The passage mainly claims that the undue focus on painting averts most people from observing the flaws of the Mona Lisa painting. It also deters them from understanding the real scope of 15th and 16th century European paintings. The answer choice C implies that most people may possibly understand the real scope of 15th and 16th century paintings. This option depicts only half of the conclusion. This answer choice states the view of others in reckoning the paintings. It does not precisely state the fact but indicates the probable attitude of most people. The answer choice does not ensure the fact that most people realise the true scope of paintings. Therefore, option C is the incorrect answer choice since it does not strengthen the conclusion of the passage. This answer choice is thereby irrelevant to the given context of the passage. Hence, option C gets eliminated.

Option D
The answer choice D states that other European paintings of the 15th and 16th century were once more well known than the Mona Lisa. The statement in this answer choice does not satisfy the conclusion of the passage. The passage mainly argues that the undue focus on painting averts most people from observing the flaws of the Mona Lisa painting. It also prevents them from comprehending the real scope of 15th and 16th century European paintings. Hence, option D is the incorrect answer choice since it does not strengthen the conclusion of the passage. This answer choice is thereby irrelevant to the given context of the passage. Therefore, option D gets eliminated.

Option E
The answer choice E implies that most art scholars believe that The Last Supper is an excellent painting than the Mona Lisa. This answer states the view of others in reckoning the painting of the Mona Lisa. The passage infers that the undue focus on painting averts most people from observing the flaws of the Mona Lisa painting. It also deters them from understanding the real scope of 15th and 16th century European paintings. The conclusion of the passage states “most people” rather than “most art scholars”. Therefore, option E is the incorrect answer choice since it does not strengthen the conclusion of the passage. This answer choice is thereby irrelevant to the given context of the passage. Hence, option E gets eliminated.

“The Mona Lisa, arguably the world's most famous painting, may be a masterpiece”- is a GMAT critical reasoning topic of the GMAT exam. This GMAT critical reasoning question comes up with five options and candidates need to choose the one which is correct. GMAT critical reasoning tests the rational and analytical skills of the candidates.

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