All AP Art History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #611 : Ap Art History
The work shown here was made from ________________.
gold
bronze
marble
stone
marble
Greek and Roman sculpture, especially large-scale monumental works, was usually made out of marble. Needing fine skill and technical ability, marble was also imposing and costly, demonstrating the value of the work carved from the material. While generally perceived as finished when viewed as plain white marble, Roman sculptors finished their works with a brightly colored layer of paint to give fine detail to the sculpture.
Image accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue-Augustus.jpg
Example Question #612 : Ap Art History
Based on style and composition, the work of art shown here was created in __________________.
the Persian Civilization
the Etruscan civilization
the Greek Civilization
the Egyptian Civilization
the Etruscan civilization
The Etruscan civilization flourished between about 800 and 200 BCE in the northern Italian peninsula. As represented by this work, the Sarcophagus of the Spouses, Etruscans created large scale sculptures in terra cotta that were remarkable images of human figures, especially in funerary monuments such as this piece. Etruscan art was highly influential on Roman art, particularly after the Roman Empire generally overtook the Etruscan lands in Northern Italy.
Image accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louvre-Lens_-_Les_Étrusques_et_la_Méditerranée_-_191_-_Paris,_musée_du_Louvre,_DAGER,_Cp_5194_(Sarcophage_des_Époux)_(A).JPG
Example Question #613 : Ap Art History
In The Sarcophagus of the Spouses, the two figures are posed to show ___________________.
the qualities about the couple that the viewer should worship
the elevated societal status of the male figure
the royal status of the couple
their affection and devotion to one another
their affection and devotion to one another
The Etruscan sculpture The Sarcophagus of the Spouses presents a married couple, lounging in an embrace at a dinner or a party. As this is a funerary monument, this pose is supposed to represent the lasting image of the couple, which indicates that this couple and Etruscan society in general greatly valued genuine affection between married couples. This kind of pose stands in stark contrast to Greek and Roman sculpture which often presented subjects in stern poses and also tended to separate men and women.
Image accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louvre-Lens_-_Les_Étrusques_et_la_Méditerranée_-_191_-_Paris,_musée_du_Louvre,_DAGER,_Cp_5194_(Sarcophage_des_Époux)_(A).JPG
Example Question #614 : Ap Art History
The evolution of the Greek figure can best be described as an aesthetic change from ___________________.
stylized to naturalistic
realistic to stylized
human to anthropomorphized
contrapossto to rigid
stylized to naturalistic
Greek sculpture evolved as the people did, going from a stylized figure with Eastern tendencies and aesthetic qualities to a more natural, highly realistic sculpted figure. Though answers three of the answers have vocabulary related to the Greek aesthetic, they represent a de-evolution of Greek figure studies. The correct answer choice is the only one whose chronology is correct. This question tests a student's ability to recognize large patterns within aesthetic traditions while associating important words with the culture: contrapossto, anthropomorphized, and stylized are all features of Greek sculpture a student needs to recognize. The trick in this question is for the student to frame this vocabulary, and the movements they represent, within the histories they are a part of in a chronologically accurate way.
Example Question #615 : Ap Art History
The increasing realism depicted in Greek sculpture can most likely be attributed to a heightened concern for the way a figure ________________.
moves
feels
looks
functions internally
moves
Concern with the way the figure moves is the best answer. Greek sculptures evolved to look like a living, breathing figure. The contrapossto style, while looking more natural, also makes the figure appear to be in motion, or capable of movement. By focusing on how the figure moves, artists more accurately depicted how it is. The emphasis is on external function, not internal, evolving to focus on not only how the figure moves through space, but also through time, as late Greek statues focused on the process of aging. Either way, an increasing realism across the chronology of Greek sculpture directly correlates to a heightened concern with movement.
Example Question #616 : Ap Art History
Pictured above is the Boxer at Rest. It is a public domain image and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_at_Rest
Based on the figural representation and the material, this work likely dates back to _____________.
fourth century CE Rome
fourth century BCE Greece
first century CE Greece
seventh century CE Rome
fourth century BCE Greece
The piece is Hellenistic, for a number of reasons. First note the hyper-realism of the figure's proportions and body. He is figurally representative of a real man, something the Greeks took pride in. Note also the drama in his face, the anguish of his form. This too would have been connotative of the Hellenistic background of the piece, given the strong desire to depict emotional states in that period. The closest answer, therefore, is the fourth century in Greece.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Ancient Grecian And Roman Sculpture
The difference between a bas-relief and a high relief in a carved sculpture is that __________.
a bas-relief is much simpler
a bas-relief is carved much more ornately
a bas-relief is set higher against its background
a bas-relief is set lower against its background
a bas-relief is set lower against its background
A relief is a sculpture that is carved into a large slate of stone or metal, with its figures raised above a flat background. A bas-relief is a form of relief with very little depth between the carving and the background, while a high relief has much more depth. Neither term indicates any level of how ornate the carving actually is.
Example Question #21 : Sculpture
Roman sculpture distinguished itself from Greek sculpture by
creation of elaborate funerary memorials.
creating sculptures of pagan gods for use in temples.
sharp realism in portraiture.
widespread use of marble as a medium.
sharp realism in portraiture.
Most Roman sculpture, and art of all kinds, was heavily based on Greek examples, and oftentimes it can be hard to distinguish between a Roman original and a Roman copy of a Greek sculpture. However, one major distinguishing feature of Roman sculpture is in its portraiture. Roman portraits depicted their subjects in a "warts and all" manner that showed every imperfection, as it was seen to exhibit worldliness and wisdom.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Ancient Grecian And Roman Sculpture
Pictured above is the Boxer at Rest. It is a public domain image and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_at_Rest
The sculpture was created by a process that involves molds of the body made of wax and molten bronze casting, which is known as the _____________.
negative space type
wax-cast type
lost-wax process
encaustic process
lost-wax process
The lost wax process involves carving first the wax in the shape of a limb or head, and then using that as a moulding for the hot bronze so it is both lighter as well as more realistic. Encaustic is also a process that involves wax, but it is wax paint and not wax sculpture. This process is now considered lost because after the Greeks stopped using it it fell out of fashion and was never properly replicated.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Ancient Grecian And Roman Sculpture
The "Archaic smile" found on many human images originating in Greece's Archaic Period was meant to be a sign of what?
Having been blessed by the gods
Being alive
Having died with a good reputation
It was only included if the model was happy at the time of the sculpting.
Being alive
The "Archaic smile" characteristic of faces from sixth century BCE art was probably mean to imbue unmoving stone faces with life and distinguish them from the unmoving faces of the dead.