Few stories in art history rival the gilded drama of James McNeill Whistler’s Peacock Room. This sumptuous dining space became the setting of a spectacular falling-out between Whistler, who transformed the somber room into a golden aviary, and shipping magnate Frederick Leyland, who commissioned the work but refused to pay for what he __________ as a tasteless, gaudy design.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Explanation
Context: The narrative is in past tense ("became," "transformed," "commissioned," "refused"), and the relative clause "what he ___ as a tasteless, gaudy design" needs its own finite verb.
Answer: C) viewed
Why? A relative clause requires a finite verb, and the surrounding past-tense story calls for simple past: "what he viewed as."
Traps:
- A) having viewed → non-finite participle; leaves "what he..." without a working verb.
- B) viewing → same problem — a participle can't serve as the clause's verb.
- D) having a view of → non-finite and unidiomatic; the fixed phrase is "viewed as."