Museums Of Fine Art And Their Public — IELTS Reading Answers

“This might be explained by the fact that the novel has evolved precisely because of technological developments that made it possible to print out huge numbers of texts”

The gap concerns why the novel developed; the passage credits printing technology that made it possible to print huge numbers of texts, option B.

“With novels, the reader attends mainly to the meaning of words rather than the way they are printed on the page”

The gap contrasts meaning with printed appearance; readers attend mainly to the meaning of words rather than how they are printed, option H.

“artists seemed perfectly content to assign the reproduction of their creations to their workshop apprentices as regular ‘bread and butter’ work.”

The gap names who reproduced paintings; the passage says artists left reproduction to their workshop apprentices as bread and butter work, option L.

“production of high-quality prints made exactly to the original scale”

The gap describes the prints' accuracy of size; the passage says high-quality prints were made exactly to the original scale, option G.

“Unfortunately, this seems to place severe limitations on the kind of experience offered to visitors.”

The gap names the drawback for museum visitors; the passage says this seems to place severe limitations on the experience offered to visitors, option D.

The writer mentions London’s National Gallery to illustrate

1. Athe undesirable cost to a nation of maintaining a huge collection of art.
2. Bthe conflict that may arise in society between financial and artistic values.
3. Cthe negative effect a museum can have on visitors’ opinions of themselves.correct
4. Dthe need to put individual well-being above large-scale artistic schemes.

“In a society that judges the personal status of the individual so much by their material worth, it is therefore difficult not to be impressed by one’s own relative ‘worthlessness’ in such an environment.”

The gallery example shows visitors measuring themselves against material worth and feeling a relative worthlessness, a negative effect on self-opinion, option C.

The writer says that today, viewers may be unwilling to criticise a work because

1. Athey lack the knowledge needed to support an opinion.
2. Bthey fear it may have financial implications.
3. Cthey have no real concept of the work’s value.
4. Dthey feel their personal reaction is of no significance.correct

“Evidently, nothing the viewer thinks about the work is going to alter that value, and so today’s viewer is deterred from trying to extend that spontaneous, immediate, self-reliant kind of reading which would originally have met the work.”

Since nothing the viewer thinks can alter the work's value, today's viewer is deterred, feeling their personal reaction is insignificant, option D.

According to the writer, the ‘displacement effect’ on the visitor is caused by

1. Athe variety of works on display and the way they are arranged.correct
2. Bthe impossibility of viewing particular works of art over a long period.
3. Cthe similar nature of the paintings and the lack of great works.
4. Dthe inappropriate nature of the individual works selected for exhibition.

“The visitor may then be struck by the strangeness of seeing such diverse paintings, drawings and sculptures brought together in an environment for which they were not originally created. This ‘displacement effect’”

The displacement effect comes from seeing diverse paintings, drawings and sculptures brought together in an environment not created for them, option A.

The writer says that unlike other forms of art, a painting does not

1. Ainvolve direct contact with an audience.
2. Brequire a specific location for a performance.
3. Cneed the involvement of other professionals.
4. Dhave a specific beginning or end.correct

“A fundamental difference between paintings and other art forms is that there is no prescribed time over which a painting is viewed.”

Paintings lack a prescribed time for viewing, unlike performances with set beginnings and ends, which is option D.

Art history should focus on discovering the meaning of art using a range of media.

“Consequently, the dominant critical approach becomes that of the art historian, a specialised academic approach devoted to ‘discovering the meaning’ of art within the cultural context of its time.”

The text describes art history as a specialised academic approach devoted to discovering meaning, but never recommends which media it should use.

The approach of art historians conflicts with that of art museums.

“This is in perfect harmony with the museum’s function”

The art-historical approach is in perfect harmony with the museum's function, so there is no conflict between them.

People should be encouraged to give their opinions openly on works of art.

“The displays of art museums serve as a warning of what critical practices can emerge when spontaneous criticism is suppressed.”

Warning against displays that show what happens when spontaneous criticism is suppressed implies visitors should be encouraged to voice their views openly.

Reproductions of fine art should only be sold to the public if they are of high quality.

“If appropriate works of fine art could be rendered permanently accessible to the public by means of high-fidelity reproductions, as literature and music already are, the public may feel somewhat less in awe of them.”

The passage suggests high-fidelity reproductions might make art accessible, but never proposes restricting sales to good-quality reproductions.

In the future, those with power are likely to encourage more people to enjoy art.

“Unfortunately, that may be too much to ask from those who seek to maintain and control the art establishment.”

The writer says wider enjoyment is too much to ask of those who seek to maintain and control the art establishment, so they are unlikely to encourage it.