1. Purpose of the question

This Sentence Equivalence item tests vocabulary precision with adverbs that describe manner and sentence-structure interpretation: understanding how a dash and a colon set up a qualification and an illustrative example that undermines the claim that art has strong political power.

2. Step-by-step solution

Read the sentence without looking at the options.

Paraphrase: The idea that art has real political power is doubtful. As an example, a famous anti-war painting depicting brutal destruction hangs in a museum in a way that makes it seem almost ________, bathed in gentle, idyllic light.

The dash (“– if it is even true at all –”) adds concession/skepticism about art’s political power.
The colon introduces a concrete example (“Picasso’s painting ... hangs almost ___ in the museum”) that illustrates that skepticism: despite violent subject matter, the painting appears tame.

So the blank must mean something like:

“modestly / unobtrusively / inoffensively”

—that is, not fierce or politically charged.

Grammatically, the blank modifies “hangs,” so it must be an adverb describing how the painting hangs.

Evaluate each answer choice.

A. demurely – modestly, shyly, not calling attention to itself.

A painting about atrocities that now hangs “demurely” under soft light fits the idea of art’s political force being muted. Keep.

B. grotesquely – hideously, in a distorted or shocking way.

This would emphasize horror, strengthening political impact, opposite of the point. Reject.

C. askew – crooked, not straight.

Merely physical position; unrelated to political effect or gentle light. Reject.

D. self-effacingly – modestly, downplaying one’s importance.

A painting that hangs “self-effacingly” likewise seems unobtrusive, undercutting its power. Keep.

E. peacefully – calmly.

The light is peaceful, but the adverb must capture modesty / unobtrusiveness rather than just calm; also, “demurely” and “peacefully” are not close synonyms. Reject.

F. frivolously – not seriously, lightly.

This implies silliness, which clashes with the gravity of war imagery. Reject.

The only pair that both fits the sentence and is close in meaning:

A. demurely and D. self-effacingly – both mean modestly, not drawing attention.

3. General Strategy Takeaway

Treat dashes as signals of added attitude (doubt, concession) and colons as introducing examples or explanations; here the example must illustrate the skepticism.

Always predict a simple meaning for the blank (“unobtrusively”) before checking options.

Match the part of speech—here an adverb modifying “hangs.”