READTHEORY Name Date In Search of Beauty Beauty is often thought to be subjective. As the popular adage puts it, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Thus, what you might find hideous, I might find pulchritudinous. But if that were true, then how could there be universally beautiful things in the world? For instance, few among us would look at a sunset and declare, What rubbish! Likewise, the breathtaking majesty of a snowcapped peak in the Alps, the Andes, the Rockies, the Himalayas, or anywhere else in the world is generally impressive if not downright alluring and prepossessing. Or the variegated leaves of autumn, popping in their reds and oranges and yellows. Or the way the sunlight hits the Mediterranean in spring. Or the flamboyant tails of the male peacock. Each is something we generally have accepted as beautiful, and each suggests that far from being subjective, beauty is something universal and objective. Of course, all of the examples I ve listed have something in common. They are all natural. Not a one of them is manmade. Could there be an objective natural beauty and something else entirely when it comes to manmade beauty? Does the very fact that man created something make it not just artificial beauty but ersatz beauty? Can man not create something that is truly and universally accepted as beautiful? This quest to understand or create beauty has been going on for centuries. Painters and other artists have long struggled to create something that is objectively beautiful. According to the Romans Vitruvius specifically beauty derived from balance and symmetry. To them, all beauty should be modeled on the perfect symmetries that exist in the physical form of the Earth. Centuries later, the medieval scholars advocated a more metaphysical definition of beauty. In the medieval conception of the world, everything was second to God, so beauty itself came from God. The best art could hope to do was to reflect God s light. To do this, medieval artists were encouraged to symbolize the Holy Trinity by painting objects in multiples of three and surrounding them by light. In the Enlightenment, artists advocated completely different conceptions of beauty. William Hogarth, in his The Analysis of Beauty, for instance, suggested that a painting should have what he called a line of beauty, an s-shaped curve that evoked movement and directed the viewer s attention. Other artists, such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, returned to the ideals of Vitruvius and the ancient Grecian Plato, advocating that beauty derived from balance first and foremost. Reynolds, however, also suggested that true beauty required simplicity. The Romantics had a simpler conception, borrowed from John Keats: Beauty is truth, truth beauty. In the twentieth century, the Dutch De Stijl artist Piet Mondrian suggested that true beauty required abstraction and, so, devoted his life to making art that used only straight lines and solid geometric forms. Thus, after a millennium, artists had not decided if beauty were rooted in balance, lines, light, or something else entirely! So how can we rectify the seeming contradiction of what we know to be true and what people who have devoted their lives to beauty seem to show us is not true? We can all agree that there is something that is beautiful; however, we seem at ends when we try to define beauty. Is there something in the nature of who we are that separates are conceptions of beauty? Or, in other words, do artists and laymen just see things differently? Perhaps. What separates the conception of beauty for artists is twofold. For one, whenever art is discussed, taste moves to the forefront. And while beauty might be objective, taste is the antithesis of objective.
Taste, by definition is subjective. It would make it impossible for us to agree on one definition of beauty, as each of us has a unique taste or preference. Secondly, and more at the root of the problem, things we do agree are beautiful are partially beautiful because of the sheer scale of them. Those naturally beautiful things seem beautiful in part because they are so impressively monumental. A snowcapped mountain is far greater than any one person could ever make. Likewise, the intricate pattern of a peacock s tail could never seem as impressive if it were painted by man. For if it were painted, it would be planned. And the beauty of the tail feathers is the surprise of them. One looks at a peacock and sees nothing impressive, and then, all of a sudden, it turns its tail up and there it is: every color of the rainbow (and then some) represented. The sunset encapsulates both of these ideals. It is at once huge and also unexpected. The day s sky exists in tones of blue and gray, and the evening in purples, navies, and blacks. But between those drab colors lies a period of layered polychromatic hues bleeding together. It surprises the observer while also enveloping literally the entire horizon. Man could never create something as large, as awe-inspiring, as surprising, or, in a word, as beautiful. 1) Based on how the words are used in paragraph 1, which of the following provides a correct set of antonyms? A. breathtaking and impressive B. pulchritudinous and hideous C. subjective and prepossessing D. variegated and flamboyant E. universal and objective 2) According to the passage, which of the following believed that beauty required symmetry or balance? I. II. III. IV. Vitruvius Plato Sir Joshua Reynolds Piet Mondrian A. IV only B. I and II C. I and III D. I, II, and III E. I, II, III, and IV 3) William Hogarth s definition of beauty is most similar to that of A. the author B. Piet Mondrian C. John Keats D. medieval artists E. None of the above
4) According to the author, which of the following prevents artists from being able to agree on beauty? A. artistic temperaments B. historical viewpoints C. personal opinions D. prophetic visions E. individual egos 5) As used in paragraph 6, the word antithesis could best replaced by which of the following words? A. opposite B. subjectivity C. juxtaposition D. denial E. comparison 6) The primary purpose of this passage is to A. make an argument B. explain a discrepancy C. analyze multiple viewpoints D. refute a common belief E. trace the history of beauty 7) In the passage, the author does each of the following EXCEPT A. define his or her own concept of artistic beauty B. provide examples of artists throughout history C. list examples of things most people agree are beautiful D. describe historical viewpoints on what defines beauty E. discuss the types of things humans generally find beautiful 8) The author most likely believes that beauty requires A. a very large scale and bright colors B. nature and a higher power C. proper symmetry and naturally occurring form D. good taste and universal truths E. an element of surprise and a monumental scale
9) In your own words, summarize the different conceptions of beauty mentioned throughout the passage. 10) Do you agree with the author s implication that natural things have a greater potential to be beautiful than manmade things? Why or why not?
Answers and Explanations 1) B Question Type: Vocabulary In the first paragraph, the author states that, what you might find hideous, I might find pulchritudinous. He or she does so after stating that beauty is thought to be subjective, implying that there are multiple opinions on the subject. This makes it clear that pulchritudinous and hideous are near opposites, and, in fact, that is true. Pulchritudinous means beautiful, while hideous means ugly. Therefore, choice (B) is correct. Breathtaking and impressive are not opposites of each other, nor does the passage imply that they are. Breathtaking means astonishing, while impressive means astonishing or awesome. These words are, as such, synonyms instead of antonyms, and choice (A) is incorrect as a result. Subjective and prepossessing are not opposites of each other, nor does the passage imply that they are. Subjective means based on personal feelings, while prepossessing means attractive. These words have no relationship, so choice (C) is incorrect. Variegated and flamboyant are not opposites of each other, nor does the passage imply that they are. Variegated means multicolored, while flamboyant means noticeable or attention drawing. These words are not quite synonyms, but they are certainly not antonyms, so choice (D) is incorrect. Universal and objective are not opposites of each other, nor does the passage imply that they are. Universal means applicable to all groups, while objective means not based on personal feelings or opinions. These words are not quite synonymous, but they are certainly not antonyms, so choice (E) is incorrect. 2) D Question Type: Research To answer this detail question, look for the part of the passage that describes various artists interpretations of beauty. This occurs in paragraphs 3 and 4. In paragraph 3, the author states that Vitruvis believed that beauty derived from balance and symmetry. This supports option (I). In paragraph 4, the author writes that Sir Joshua Reynolds returned to the ideals of Vitruvius and the ancient Grecian Plato, advocating that beauty derived from balance first and foremost. Thus, both Plato and Reynolds also believed beauty required symmetry, supporting both options (II) and (III). However, in paragraph 4, the author writes that Piet Mondrian suggested that true beauty required abstraction and never implies that Mondrian cared about balance or symmetry. Thus, option (IV) is NOT supported. Therefore choice (D) correct. Choices (A) and (E) are incorrect because the passage never states that Mondrian believed beauty required symmetry.
Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage makes clear that Reynolds also believed beauty required balance. Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage also makes clear that Plato believed beauty required balance. 3) E Question Type: Research The passage mentions Hogarth in paragraph 4. There, it states that Hogarth believed in something called a line of beauty, which is defined as an s-shaped curve that evoked movement and directed the viewer s attention. This is not similar to the definitions of beauty made by any other artist or thinker in the passage. Because of this, choice (E) is correct. The passage mentions Hogarth in paragraph 4. There, it states that Hogarth believed in something called a line of beauty, which is defined as an s-shaped curve that evoked movement and directed the viewer s attention. The author s own definition of beauty comes in the end of the passage and seems to require three components. Something beautiful must be as large, as awe-inspiring, as surprising as things found in nature. This definition does not involve an s-shaped line necessarily, so Hogarth s definition is not similar to that of the author, so choice (A) is incorrect. The passage mentions Hogarth in paragraph 4. There, it states that Hogarth believed in something called a line of beauty, which is defined as an s-shaped curve that evoked movement and directed the viewer s attention. In the same paragraph, the author refers to Piet Mondrian s definition of beauty, which required abstraction and used only straight lines and solid geometric forms. Thus, Mondrian did not argue that beauty required curved or s-shaped lines, so his definition of beauty is not like that of Hogarth. Because of that, choice (B) is incorrect. The passage mentions Hogarth in paragraph 4. There, it states that Hogarth believed in something called a line of beauty, which is defined as an s-shaped curve that evoked movement and directed the viewer s attention. In the same paragraph, the author states that the Romantics borrowed a notion of beauty from John Keats: Beauty is truth, truth beauty. Hogarth s definition of beauty did not require truth, so there is no correlation between his definition and Keats, making choice (C) incorrect. The passage mentions Hogarth in paragraph 4. There, it states that Hogarth believed in something called a line of beauty, which is defined as an s-shaped curve that evoked movement and directed the viewer s attention. In paragraph 3, the author describes the medieval artists believing beauty derived from God and so advocated painting objects in multiples of three and surrounding them by light. There is no correlation between God and an s-shaped curve, so Hogarth s definition of beauty is not similar to the definition of beauty advocated for by medieval artists. Because of this, choice (D) is incorrect. 4) C Question Type: Research
In the final two paragraphs of the passage the author answers the question posed in paragraph 5, do artists and laymen just see things differently? He or she states that there are two things that separate the conception of beauty for artists: taste and monumentality. Of the first, he or she states that, whenever art is discussed, taste moves to the forefront, and taste is subjective. Of the second, he or she states that what we do agree are beautiful are partially beautiful because of the sheer scale of them. Thus, artists cannot agree on beauty because of both personal opinions and taste as well as the inability to make something on a grand scale. Of these two, only personal opinions is listed in the answer choices, making choice (C) correct. The passage never discusses the temperaments or makeups of artists, so choice (A) cannot logically be correct. The passage explores several historic conceptions of beauty and viewpoints in general, but it does not state that the historical viewpoints are what make it impossible for artists to agree on what defines beauty. Rather, the historical viewpoints are used in the passage as proof that artists do not agree on what defines beauty, not as an explanation for why this is so. Because of this, choice (B) is incorrect. The author does imply that surprise is a common element of what makes something beautiful. However, he or she does not state that artists cannot agree on beauty because they are able to see the future and therefore incapable of being surprised. Choice (D) is incorrect because it takes something used figuratively in the passage and treats it too literally. The author never discusses the egos or personalities of specific artists. Thus, choice (E) cannot logically be correct. 5) A Question Type: Vocabulary antithesis (noun): a thing that is the direct opposite of something else. In paragraph 6, the author states that taste is the antithesis of objective because taste, by definition, is subjective. Subjective and objective are antonyms, so it follows that antithesis could be replaced in the passage by the word opposite, making choice (A) correct. In paragraph 6, the author states that taste is the antithesis of objective because taste, by definition, is subjective. Though the author uses both antithesis and subjective in the description of taste, he or she does not imply that antithesis is the same as subjectivity, meaning the two words could not be used in place of each other. This means choice (B) is incorrect. In paragraph 6, the author states that taste is the antithesis of objective because taste, by definition, is subjective. This means that antithesis is not just a comparison but a specific kind of
comparison: one that means two things are opposites. Because of this, juxtaposition (which is the placement of two ideas side by side for the purposes of making a comparison) could not logically replace antithesis, and choice (C) is incorrect. In paragraph 6, the author states that taste is the antithesis of objective because taste, by definition, is subjective. That implies that antithesis is akin in meaning to opposite, but a denial is not the same thing as an opposite. A denial is a refusal to accept or believe something, not just the opposite of something, so antithesis could not logically be replaced by denial, making choice (D) incorrect. In paragraph 6, the author states that taste is the antithesis of objective because taste, by definition, is subjective. This means that antithesis is not just a comparison but a specific kind of comparison: one that means two things are opposites. Because of this, comparison could not logically replace antithesis, and choice (E) is incorrect. 6) B Question Type: Reasoning The passage mostly describes different conceptions of beauty and seeks to explain the seeming contradiction of what we know to be true that there is something that is universally agreed upon to be beautiful and what people who have devoted their lives to beauty seem to show us is not true that there is no agreed-upon conception of beauty. This is a discrepancy, then, as the author suggests there are things we can all agree are beautiful, even while artists cannot agree. The author opens the passage by introducing the generality that we all know some things are beautiful; then he or she goes through the artistic conceptions of beauty; finally, he or she attempts to rectify the seeming contradiction and does so by arguing that true beauty can only really exist in nature. In any case, the primary purpose of the passage is to explain a discrepancy, making choice (B) correct. The passage does not primarily make an argument, as it instead tries to explain why two arguments are both kind of correct. That is, the author does argue that there are things that we can all agree are beautiful, but he or she also accepts various artistic theories on beauty by noting that there is a difference between natural beauty and artistic beauty. Because of this, it cannot be said that the author is primarily concerned with making an argument, so choice (A) is incorrect. The middle section of the passage does primarily analyze several viewpoints on what defines beauty, but the sections surrounding the middle do not merely analyze these viewpoints. Instead, in the rest of the passage, the author provides his or her own definition of beauty and explains how some things can be universally agreed upon as beautiful. Because of the inclusion of these sections, it cannot be said that the passage is primarily written to analyze multiple viewpoints, making choice (C) incorrect. The author opens the passage by providing a common belief that we can all agree some things are beautiful but he or she never refutes that belief. Instead, the author attempts to explain how this can be so, so, in fact, he or she primarily proves the common belief instead of refuting it. Because of this, choice (D) is incorrect.
The middle section of the passage does primarily trace the history of conceptions of beauty, but the sections surrounding the middle do not merely explain this history. Instead, in the rest of the passage, the author provides his or her own definition of beauty and explains how some things can be universally agreed upon as beautiful. Because of the inclusion of these sections, it cannot be said that the passage is primarily written to trace the history of beauty, making choice (E) incorrect. 7) A Question Type: Research In the passage, the author discusses beauty at length, but he or she never provides his or her own definition of artistic beauty. Instead, he or she makes an argument that all universal beauty can only really exist in nature. Nature is separate from art, so, even though he or she provides several definitions of artistic beauty, he or she never actually provides his or her own interpretation of artistic beauty. This question asks for the thing the passage does NOT do, so choice (A) is correct. The third and fourth paragraph both provide examples of many artists throughout history, including Vitruvius, Reynolds, and Mondrian. This question asks for the thing the passage does NOT do, so choice (B) is incorrect. In the first paragraph, the author provides a list of things most people agree are beautiful, including snowcapped mountains, peacocks, and autumn leaves. This question asks for the thing the passage does NOT do, so choice (C) is incorrect. The third and fourth paragraph both provide examples of many artists definitions of beauty throughout history, including those of Vitruvius, Reynolds, and Mondrian. This question asks for the thing the passage does NOT do, so choice (D) is incorrect. In the first paragraph, the author provides a list of things most people agree are beautiful, including snowcapped mountains, peacocks, and autumn leaves. In both the second paragraph and the final paragraph, the author explains what these things all have in common too. This question asks for the thing the passage does NOT do, so choice (E) is incorrect. 8) E Question Type: Reasoning The author provides a summary of the types of things he or she finds beautiful in the final paragraph. There, he or she states that real beauty requires something to be as large, as awe-inspiring, as surprising as things that we find beautiful in nature. Thus, beauty requires both an element of surprise and a monumental scale, making choice (E) correct. The author does suggest that beauty requires a very large scale in the final paragraph, but he or she never states or implies that beauty requires bright colors, even though he or she does suggest that many beautiful things have many colors. However, multiple colors and bright colors are not the same. Therefore, choice (A) is incorrect.
The author of the passage never suggests that beauty requires a higher power, as he or she only states that medieval artists believed beauty was created by God. Thus, even though the author does advocate natural beauty over manmade beauty, choice (B) is incorrect. The author states that many historical definitions of beauty advocated symmetry and balance like that found in nature, but he or she never implies that his or her own conception of beauty required symmetry or balance. Therefore, choice (C) is incorrect. The author never states that beauty requires good taste and universal truths. In fact, he or she tries to find universal definitions of beauty and only states that taste makes it difficult for artists to accept an agreed-upon definition of beauty. Therefore, choice (D) is incorrect.