AP Art History : Gothic 2D Art

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Gothic 2 D Art

A painting of a crucified Christ laying across the Virgin Mary is called __________.

Possible Answers:

the ecce homo

a salvator mundi

a pietà

an arma Christi

Correct answer:

a pietà

Explanation:

The pietà was a common theme among Gothic and Medieval artists who were Christians and used religious themes because it was one of the most dramatic moments of Christ's crucifixion story. The pietà depicts a dead Jesus who has just been taken down from the cross laying across the Virgin Mary's lap, with Mary looking extremely sorrowful.

Example Question #1 : Gothic 2 D Art

A stained-glass window in a cathedral depicting a variety of scriptural scenes is known as __________.

Possible Answers:

Rose Window

Poor Man's Bible

The Golden Legend

The Tree of Jesse

Correct answer:

Poor Man's Bible

Explanation:

The Poor Man's Bible was a way for the largely illiterate Medieval peasantry to be able to learn Bible stories despite their inability to actually read the Bible. In many cathedrals, most notably at Canterbury Cathedral in England, the Poor Man's Bible was a giant stained-glass window that had dozens of Biblical stories that could be easily referenced by priests and parishioners alike.

Example Question #2 : Gothic 2 D Art

In Christian art, a painting of the three kings visiting the Christ child is known as __________.

Possible Answers:

"The Nativity."

"The Road to Emmaus."

"The Adoration of the Magi."

"The Annunciation."

Correct answer:

"The Adoration of the Magi."

Explanation:

"Adoration of the Magi" is an Anglicization of the Vulgate Latin phrase "a Magis adoratur,a phrase found in the Gospel of Matthew. The scene, which features three distinguished men from the East visiting the newborn Jesus, was a popular one in Medieval art, thanks to its portrayal of precious gifts, ostentatious figures, and the Christ child in one scene.

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 #61 : 2 D Art

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

Possible Answers:

Charles VI of France

Richard II of England

Margaret, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

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 #62 : 2 D Art

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

Possible Answers:

mosaic

panel painting

fresco

stained glass

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 #3 : 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

International Gothic

Carolingian

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

Golden15r

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

Possible Answers:

triptych

illuminated manuscripts

etching

woodblock printing

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 #1 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of 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 Bayeux Tapestry

The Lindisfarne Gospels

The Röttgen Pieta

The Reliquary of Sainte Foy

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 #5 : Gothic 2 D Art

Golden15r

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

Possible Answers:

Renaissance

Byzantine

Baroque

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

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