AP Art History : 2D Art Beyond European Artistic Traditions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About 2 D Art Of The Americas

The ______________ was a system of racial classification and hierarchy used by the Spanish elites of New Spain during the 17th and 18th centuries. This system inspired a series of artwork to be used as a reference, due to its complexity.

Possible Answers:

Mestizaje

Casta

Auto-de-fes

Criollo

Inquisition

Correct answer:

Casta

Explanation:

The Casta was a system of racial hierarchy used in New Spain and also in the Philippines during and after the Inquisition, based on perceived blood purity. It was determined by birth. Those with darker features had fewer opportunities, as did their children after them.

Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About 2 D Art Of The Americas

Mestizo._Mestiza._Mestiza.jpg

This painting is from the late 18th century in the Spanish colonies of the Americas. Its purpose is ________________________.

Possible Answers:

to explain to the illiterate the extra taxes that would be levied on any mixed race couple

to discourage racial mixing in the Spanish colonies of the Americas

to illustrate the result of a certain racial mix under the Casta system of racial hierarchy

to promote racial mixing in the colonies as a way to unite the two cultures

None of these

Correct answer:

to illustrate the result of a certain racial mix under the Casta system of racial hierarchy

Explanation:

The Casta system of the Spanish colonies of the Americas neither encouraged nor discouraged the mixing of races, it was simply a hierarchy of races, in which white Europeans had more opportunities and rights than their dark-skinned, indigenous counterparts. This system was the subject of much colonial artwork, as many artists were commissioned to illustrate the different races and the classification of their offspring. The title of the painting, De español y mulata, morisca, translates to English as, "From Spanish and mulatto, comes morisco." This means that the child of pure Spanish blood and mulatto blood (mixed race), would be classified as a morisco.

Image from Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mestizo._Mestiza._Mestiza.jpg

Example Question #2 : Answering Other Questions About 2 D Art Of The Americas

What was one of the purposes of hide paintings produced by Native Americans, such as Cotsiogo or Cadzi Cody?

Possible Answers:

To be given away as honored gifts

To record history

To be used as blankets

None of these

To be used as money in transactions of services

Correct answer:

To record history

Explanation:

Hide paintings and oral stories were used by indigenous Native Americans to record their history, as they did not have access to the printing press until after the arrival of European invaders.

Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About 2 D Art Of The Americas

What myth does The Coyolxauhqui Stone explain?

Possible Answers:

The attempted murder of Coatlicue by her children

None of these

The birth of Huitzilopochtli, a Mexica patron deity

All of these

The death of Coyolxauhqui, Huitzilopochtli's sister

Correct answer:

All of these

Explanation:

The answer is all of the above. The stone tells the story of Coyolxauhqui and her brothers attempting to kill their mother, Coatlicue, when they find out she is pregnant. Instead, Huitzilopochtli (the child she was pregnant with) emerges from Coatlicue's womb fully grown and defeats Coyolxauhqui. The stone depicts the exact moment Coyolxauhqui's body is broken after her beheaded body is thrown down the mountain.

Example Question #11 : 2 D Art Beyond European Artistic Traditions

Which of the following is NOT a key symbol in Buddhist iconography?

Possible Answers:

Trees

The Wheel

The Lion

Lotus

Correct answer:

Trees

Explanation:

The Lion symbolizes Buddha's royal status. The Wheel denotes Buddha's law. The Lotus is a symbol of Buddha's natural origins. Trees are not a key symbol in the iconographic scheme of Buddhist art.

Example Question #1 : Asian 2 D Art

Fan Kuan's Travellers Among Mountains and Streams exemplifies Northern Song painting in its use of which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Hanging scroll format

Composite or multiple perspectives

Shading

Ink and color on silk

Varied brushstrokes

Correct answer:

Composite or multiple perspectives

Explanation:

Monumental landscapes during the Northern Song dynasty are characterized by their use of three distinct perspectives in the composition: high distance, level distance, and deep distance.

Example Question #1 : Asian 2 D Art

Ogata korin   red and white plum blossoms  national treasure    google art project

White and Red Plum Blossoms, by Ogata Kōrin, is notable among Japanese art for its use of _________________.

Possible Answers:

watercolor

gold leaf

gemstones

oil paint

Correct answer:

gold leaf

Explanation:

Instead of painting in golden hued paint on the screen in his White and Red Plum Blossoms, Ogata Kōrin inlays actual gold leaf onto his work of art, having the gold dominate the work of art. This use of non-paint or ink materials in creating screens was a signature element of the Rinpa school, who also utilized items such as mother of pearl, although gold leaf was by far the most frequent material included in Rinpa school work.

Artwork from Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ogata_Korin_-_RED_AND_WHITE_PLUM_BLOSSOMS_(National_Treasure)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

Example Question #2 : Asian 2 D Art

Ogata korin   red and white plum blossoms  national treasure    google art project

The work shown here is an example of a Japanese _____________.

Possible Answers:

handscroll

woodblock print

hanging scroll

folding screen

Correct answer:

folding screen

Explanation:

Folding screens are a central part of Japanese art due to their use in Japanese domestic architecture as dividers between different spaces. This meant that screens such as White and Red Plum Blossoms by Ogata Kōrin were central decorative objects in houses during the Edo Period of Japanese history. Ogata Kōrin's work was one of the key developments of folding screens as an art form.

Artwork from Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ogata_Korin_-_RED_AND_WHITE_PLUM_BLOSSOMS_(National_Treasure)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Asian 2 D Art

"Ukiyo-e" is a Japanese term for a piece of art produced through the use of __________.

Possible Answers:

calligraphy pens

embroidery

screen printing

woodblock prints

Correct answer:

woodblock prints

Explanation:

Ukiyo-e was the dominant form of Japanese art in the Edo period (1603-1867), and was aimed largely at the newly dominant upper middle classes by featuring images of geishas, sumo wrestlers, and kabuki actors. Ukiyo-e works were made from woodblock prints that allowed the artist to imprint a similar image on many different pieces of paper after creating just one block. Its handmade nature, however, allowed the pieces to be hand colored and shifted each time a new one was made.

Example Question #4 : Asian 2 D Art

Chinese paintings made before 1900 were usually displayed on __________

Possible Answers:

wooden panels

bare walls

wood-framed canvas

hanging scrolls

Correct answer:

hanging scrolls

Explanation:

Chinese paintings, whether fashionable court paintings or more individualistic works from the literati, were traditionally presented on hanging silk scrolls. These scrolls were both easily portable and impressive in their scope, as they could be quite large. The manufacture of the scrolls themselves was considered an art form.

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