A newly discovered painting...

[Guest]

A newly discovered painting on wooden panel by Michelangelo must have been completed after 1507 but before 1509. It cannot have been painted earlier than 1507 because one of its central figures carries a coin that was not minted until that year. It cannot have been painted after 1509 because it contains a pigment that Michelangelo is known to have abandoned when a cheaper alternative became available in that year.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
a) No stocks of the abandoned pigment existed after 1509.
b) Michelangelo did not work on the painting over the course of several years.
c) The coin depicted in the painting was known to general public in 1507.
d) The wooden panel on which the painting was executed cannot be tested accurately for age.
e) Michelangelo's painting style did not change between 1507 and 1509.

The answer is B...Why is it because it is possible that Michelangelo started painting with the abandoned pigment long time ago say several years ago and then stopped using in 1509 and thereby creates a situation in which he was working on this painting for several years....

[rfernandez]

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