AP Art History : Analyzing seventeenth- and eighteenth-century 2D art
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Example Question #545 : Ap Art History
Which of the following is NOT true of A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery?
The people in the picture are intended to be part of the Lunar Society, a real group that met monthly to discuss scientific discovery at the time
It is a Renaissance painting
It is one in a series of "candlelight paintings" done by Wright
The composition resembles a conversation piece, a style of portraiture
The philosopher is believed to be modeled after Sir Isaac Newton
It is a Renaissance painting
A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery is painted with various intended references -- it does resemble a conversation piece portrait, and many of the figures are based on real life groups and people (specifically, the Lunar Society and Sir Isaac Newton). It is also one in a series of "candlelight paintings" that Wright created that made use of tenebrism and emphasized scientific topics. This work, however, was painted in the 18th century. The Renaissance period took place between the 14th and 17th centuries in Europe.
Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wright_of_Derby,_The_Orrery.jpg
Example Question #546 : Ap Art History
The Oath of the Horatii, shown here, can be classified as Neoclassical in style due to all of the following elements EXCEPT ____________________.
the overlapping profile figures on the left hand side of the image
the utilization of visible brushstrokes in the painting
a de-emphasized background and a highlighted foreground
the focus of the composition being at a central vanishing point
the utilization of visible brushstrokes in the painting
Neoclassicism was an artistic movement developed in the late eighteenth century that greatly valued classical ideals in art, particularly in crafting highly structured compositions which fit very specific guidelines. Among these guidelines were a de-emphasized background, use of a central vanishing point that focused the painting on one spot, frequent use of overlapping figures in profile, stoic expressions on main figures, and a heavy reliance on straight lines. Among the key stylistic elements of Neoclassical was a desire to hide any and all brushstrokes, so as to make sure the viewer was not distracted from understanding the painting's message by the artist's physical work.
Artwork from Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacques-Louis_David,_Le_Serment_des_Horaces.jpg
Example Question #541 : Ap Art History
Jacques-Louis David's The Oath of the Horatii is most closely related to the philosophical _____________ movement.
the Enlightenment
Existentialism
Scholasticism
Romanticism
the Enlightenment
Both the philosophical movement called the Enlightenment and the artistic movement Neoclassicism, of which The Oath of the Horatii is representative, were both developed in France during the eighteenth century. Beyond geographical proximity, each movement also looked to Ancient Rome and Greece for inspiration, highly prized rationality over emotionalism, and favored strict order and logic.
Artwork from Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacques-Louis_David,_Le_Serment_des_Horaces.jpg
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