Question

excerpt from art and the handicraftsman
by oscar wilde
people often talk as if there was an opposition between what is beautiful and what is useful. there is no opposition to beauty except ugliness. all things are either beautiful or ugly. utility will always be on the side of the beautiful thing, because beautiful decoration is always an expression of the use you put a thing to and the value placed on it.
no workman will beautifully decorate bad work, nor can you possibly get good handicraftsmen or workmen without having beautiful designs. you should be quite sure of that. if you have poor and worthless designs in any craft or trade, you will get poor and worthless workmen only. however, the minute you have noble and beautiful designs, then you get men of power and intellect and feeling to work for you. by having good designs, you will have workmen who work not merely with their hands but with their hearts and heads, too.
2
select the correct answer.
which statement best expresses how the author connects art and craftsmanship in this text?
a. the author insists that craftsmanship, and not beauty, is most significant in life.
b. the author describes why it is important that artists make mistakes when learning craftsmanship.
c. the author suggests that functional craftsmanship requires beautiful artwork.
d. the author demonstrates how craftsmanship can be useful without being beautiful.

Explanation:

The text argues that beauty and utility are not opposed, and that good craftsmanship relies on beautiful designs, while poor designs lead to poor work. Option C aligns with this core connection between functional craftsmanship (utility) and beautiful designs (art/ beauty) presented in the excerpt. Option A is incorrect as the author does not prioritize craftsmanship over beauty. Option B is irrelevant, as the text does not discuss artist mistakes. Option D is wrong, as the author states craftsmanship and beauty are linked, not that utility can exist without beauty.

Answer:

C. The author suggests that functional craftsmanship requires beautiful artwork.