AP Art History : Analyzing twentieth- and twenty-first-century sculpture
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History
All AP Art History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Analyzing Twentieth And Twenty First Century Sculpture
Which of the following is true of Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party?
It includes spaces for only 13 women, reminiscent of the Last Supper.
It avoids using traditionally female craft techniques as a way of elevating women to a higher purpose.
It includes the inscribed names of notable men as well, in order to convey the important female relationship to men.
It is aimed at establishing respect for women and their art, educating the public about women's role in history and the fine arts and making this accessible to a broad audience.
It is a large departure from Judy Chicago's typical works, as it avoids discussing female sexuality.
It is aimed at establishing respect for women and their art, educating the public about women's role in history and the fine arts and making this accessible to a broad audience.
Chicago aims at elevating female achievements in this work, honoring traditional female roles and celebrating the strength, inventiveness, creativity, and independence of women throughout history. Its feminist themes touch on sexuality, traditional gender roles, concepts of achievement, and more.
Example Question #2 : Twentieth And Twenty First Century Sculpture
This sculpture is an example of what artistic movement?
Surrealism
Futurism
Cubism
Abstract Expressionism
Fauvism
Futurism
While it may bear some similar principles to movements like Surrealism and Cubism, the sculpture's emphasis on the energy of a body in motion is a prime example of Futurism, of which Boccioni was a leading artist. Fauvism is not applicable to sculpture, dealing instead with the color palette of paintings, and Abstract Expressionism largely did away with representational figures, even somewhat abstracted ones like the sculpture in question.
Image is in the public domain: http://www.wikiart.org/en/umberto-boccioni/unique-forms-of-continuity-in-space-1913
Example Question #3 : Twentieth And Twenty First Century Sculpture
In his Technical Manifesto of Futurist Sculpture, Boccioni proclaimed the abolition of __________________.
definite lines
spiraling momentum
striding figures
the palpable extension of objects in space
round shapes
definite lines
The answer is "defining lines," of which there are none in this sculpture. All of the other answers are key features of both Futurism and this sculpture.
Image is in the public domain: http://www.wikiart.org/en/umberto-boccioni/unique-forms-of-continuity-in-space-1913
Example Question #4 : Twentieth And Twenty First Century Sculpture
All of the following are qualities of the figure except _______________.
impetuosity
weight
speed
muscularity
momentum
weight
The figure demonstrates momentum and speed in the way Boccioni has conveyed his forward movement. Impetuosity is an emotional quality we can infer from the speed and momentum. Though it lacks defined muscles in a naturalistic way, the sculpture also conveys a sense of muscularity through the unique rendering of his body parts. Of all these qualities, and in spite of this being a bronze sculpture, weight is not a fitting description for a figure that has muscularity but also a significant lightness to it.
Image is in the public domain: http://www.wikiart.org/en/umberto-boccioni/unique-forms-of-continuity-in-space-1913
All AP Art History Resources
