AP Art History : Ancient Through Medieval 2D Art

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #61 : Ap Art History

_________________ is a style of monochromatic painting in shades of gray.

Possible Answers:

Encaustic

Engraving

Pointillism 

Grisaille

Correct answer:

Grisaille

Explanation:

Grisaille is a type of painting done entirely in shades of gray or another neutral, monochromatic shade. By reducing the color palette to shades of gray, the artist can emulate the appearance of sculpture. It's also much less demanding on the artist, and is often used for sketches. 

Example Question #1 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Gothic 2 D Art

The Wilton diptych is a famous medieval portrait of the monarch __________.

Possible Answers:

Charles VI of France

Margaret, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

Richard II of England

Edward III of England

Correct answer:

Richard II of England

Explanation:

The Wilton diptych is a piece of medieval art for remarkable for being a surviving example of the traveling altarpiece. Made for and featuring King Richard II of England, who ruled between 1377 and 1399, the Wilton diptych is a two-paneled piece with one side featuring the Madonna and Child surrounded by angels, facing Richard with three saints, John the Baptist, and the English Kings Edmund the Martyr and Edward the Confessor. Richard was an avid patron of the arts and collector of paintings.

Example Question #2 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Gothic 2 D Art

The most common medium for depicting scenes behind an altar in a medieval church was the __________.

Possible Answers:

fresco

stained glass

mosaic

panel painting

Correct answer:

panel painting

Explanation:

In Medieval churches, the altar was directly behind the priest for the entirety of the mass, which made it the spot where every member of the congregation looked for the entire service; however, the altar was not generally an architectural feature built into the church, but something placed in later, often paid for by powerful patrons of the church. The altar piece in such a situation was a panel painting, a piece of art made on wood, usually depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, or the patron saints of the town or church.

Example Question #6 : Gothic 2 D Art

The Wilton Diptych, a religious panel painting depicting King Richard II of England with the Virgin Mary and his patron saints, is a foremost work of the style known as __________.

Possible Answers:

Merovingian

Early Netherlandish

Carolingian

International Gothic

Correct answer:

International Gothic

Explanation:

International Gothic was the fullest development of Gothic art, beginning in Bohemia and then spreading throughout Western Europe thanks to royal marriages and the hiring of foreign artists. The Wilton Diptych is one of the chief surviving examples of the International Gothic style, and shows the signature elements of the genre, including prominent placement of saints and the Virgin Mary in close proximity to a monarch.

Example Question #7 : Gothic 2 D Art

Golden15r

The work shown here is part of a genre known as ________________.

Possible Answers:

woodblock printing

triptych

illuminated manuscripts

etching

Correct answer:

illuminated manuscripts

Explanation:

Illuminated manuscripts were widely created throughout medieval Europe by a variety of religious groups, especially used with liturgical texts. This work, the Golden Haggadah, was produced for the Jewish community in Spain as a guide for the liturgy for a Passover seder. Considering the wide amounts of illiteracy in medieval Europe, containing detailed images of the story written in the manuscript allowed the entire community to understand what was contained in the work.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Enluminure_Sefarade,_Haggadah_a.jpg

Example Question #8 : Gothic 2 D Art

Golden15r

This page from The Golden Haggadah shown above is most similar to which of the following works of art?

Possible Answers:

The Lindisfarne Gospels

The Reliquary of Sainte Foy

The Bayeux Tapestry

The Röttgen Pieta

Correct answer:

The Lindisfarne Gospels

Explanation:

The Golden Haggadah is an illustrated manuscript, as are The Lindisfarne Gospels. While separated by hundreds of miles and about 600 years, and made for two different religious traditions, each piece of art served a similar function. While presenting a religious text, each work also provides a great amount of illustrations which enhance and relate to the written text.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Enluminure_Sefarade,_Haggadah_a.jpg

Example Question #2 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Gothic 2 D Art

Golden15r

Based on the style and composition, to which European period of art does this work belong?

Possible Answers:

Byzantine

Baroque

Renaissance

Gothic

Correct answer:

Gothic

Explanation:

The figures in this work of art, the Golden Hagganah, are representational, but still largely rough and lacking in perspective, although the work is embossed with fine detail and rich golden color. This manner of drawing and detail is highly characteristic of Gothic art, the predominant style of art in Western Europe from roughly 800 to 1350 CE. Additionally, this work of art is an illuminated manuscript, which was one of the most common forms of art in the middle ages.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Enluminure_Sefarade,_Haggadah_a.jpg

Example Question #61 : Ap Art History

The Christian saint whose iconography includes armor, a spear, and a dragon is __________.

Possible Answers:

Saint Patrick

Saint Andrew

Saint Stephen

Saint George

Correct answer:

Saint George

Explanation:

The cult of Saint George flourished in Western Europe (especially in England and Portugal) and Eastern Europe (especially Georgia and Southern Russia). This widespread devotion made Saint George an extremely significant figure in various kinds of medieval art. The legend of St. George is that he was a Roman soldier who was martyred for his faith, and the Crusades later brought back the story that Saint George had slain a dragon with a spear before his martyrdom.

Example Question #62 : Ap Art History

Which of the following figures were allowed to be shown as nudes in Medieval art?

Possible Answers:

Greek Gods

Commoners

Adam and Eve

The risen Christ

Correct answer:

Adam and Eve

Explanation:

Medieval art was mostly influenced by the dictates of the Roman Catholic Church, even in secular art. The Christian attitude of shame about the human body meant that art of the time period could not show nudes. One major exception was the depiction of Adam and Eve, who needed to be shown as not realizing they were naked before eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Indeed, the story of Adam and Eve was often used to justify the practice of banning of nude religious images to which the images of Adam and Eve were the exception.

Example Question #63 : Ap Art History

Golden15r

The work shown here was intended for use by which of the following groups?

Possible Answers:

Muslims

Christians

Jews

Pagans

Correct answer:

Jews

Explanation:

The Golden Haggadah was created in fourteenth century Spain, a religiously diverse part of medieval Europe where Jews, Muslims, and Christians all interacted on a day to day basis. While borrowing from the artistic traditions of other groups, this work was directed entirely towards private use by practitioners of Judaism. A haggadah is the liturgical guide for a Passover seder, recounting the exodus of Jews from Egypt, led by Moses.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Enluminure_Sefarade,_Haggadah_a.jpg

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