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Vermeer is able to imbue his paintings with a saintliness verging on t
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22 Oct 2025, 03:16
22 Oct 2025, 03:16
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Vermeer is able to imbue his paintings with a saintliness verging on the (i) _______ , a quality that is in sharp juxtaposition to the (ii) _______ of his subjects: a milkmaid preparing breakfast, a servant tidying up a messy kitchen.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. artificial | D. similarity |
| B. numinous | E. conviviality |
| C. hagiographic | F. banality |
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Re: Vermeer is able to imbue his paintings with a saintliness verging on t
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31 Oct 2025, 11:30
31 Oct 2025, 11:30
Expert Reply
Blank (i): numinous
- Context: The blank describes an intense version of "saintliness"-a quality of spiritual or holy elevation.
- Fit: Numinous means having a strong religious or spiritual quality; suggesting the presence of a deity. This captures the extreme, transcendent quality that Vermeer is said to imbue his works with.
- Hagiographic means excessively flattering (usually applied to writing about saints), which is less appropriate for the feeling of a painting.
Blank (ii): banality
- Context: The second blank is defined by the phrase "in sharp juxtaposition" to the saintliness/numinous quality, and it is illustrated by the specific subjects: "a milkmaid preparing breakfast, a servant tidying up a messy kitchen." These are the most common, ordinary, and everyday activities.
- Fit: Banality means the condition of being unoriginal, commonplace, or ordinary. The contrast works perfectly: Vermeer elevates the banality (the commonness) of his subjects to a level of numinous (spiritual) significance.
The completed sentence reads:
Vermeer is able to imbue his paintings with a saintliness verging on the numinous, a quality that is in sharp juxtaposition to the banality of his subjects: a milkmaid preparing breakfast, a servant tidying up a messy kitchen.
- Context: The blank describes an intense version of "saintliness"-a quality of spiritual or holy elevation.
- Fit: Numinous means having a strong religious or spiritual quality; suggesting the presence of a deity. This captures the extreme, transcendent quality that Vermeer is said to imbue his works with.
- Hagiographic means excessively flattering (usually applied to writing about saints), which is less appropriate for the feeling of a painting.
Blank (ii): banality
- Context: The second blank is defined by the phrase "in sharp juxtaposition" to the saintliness/numinous quality, and it is illustrated by the specific subjects: "a milkmaid preparing breakfast, a servant tidying up a messy kitchen." These are the most common, ordinary, and everyday activities.
- Fit: Banality means the condition of being unoriginal, commonplace, or ordinary. The contrast works perfectly: Vermeer elevates the banality (the commonness) of his subjects to a level of numinous (spiritual) significance.
The completed sentence reads:
Vermeer is able to imbue his paintings with a saintliness verging on the numinous, a quality that is in sharp juxtaposition to the banality of his subjects: a milkmaid preparing breakfast, a servant tidying up a messy kitchen.
gmatclubot
Re: Vermeer is able to imbue his paintings with a saintliness verging on t [#permalink]
31 Oct 2025, 11:30
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