AP Art History : AP Art History
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The columns are in what style?
Etruscan
Ionic
Corinthian
Doric
Corinthian
The columns sport the leaves of an acanthus plant, which is stylistically representative of the Corinthian order.
Example Question #96 : Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The work was comissioned by __________.
A Christian Roman politician
An ancient Roman emperor
A young Roman senator
A church bishop
A Christian Roman politician
Junius Bassus was a powerful senator, and the owner of this work. He must have had enough wealth and influence to commission such a work for his death, and he must have been Christian to justify the imagery. He was not a Roman Emperor, and certainly not an "ancient" one, which typically refers to a period about a thousand years before Bassus lived.
Example Question #97 : Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
All of the following can be found in the work EXCEPT __________.
the first images of nude female forms
the dichotomy of Roman and Christian stylistic elements
Roman imperial stylistic influence in the figural elements
visuals of the most prominent Christian stories
the first images of nude female forms
Female figures have been nude almost since the beginning of figurative art. They are not new to the Romans, although they are seen less often.
Example Question #98 : Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The work would have been placed in __________.
a Roman forum.
the ground.
a Christian mausoleum.
a pagan temple.
a Christian mausoleum.
The Christian motif is clear on the work, indicating it would have been on display in a Christian burial place. A sarcophagus would not have been placed in the ground, and this one is not pagan in nature.
Example Question #99 : Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The time in which this work was produced was also a time of __________.
Roman imperial northern expansion
religious change in the Roman Empire
Macedonian conflict with the Nordic peoples
War with the Insular Celts
religious change in the Roman Empire
The sarcophagus was made in the middle of the fourth century, just as Chrisitanity began to reshape the Roman Empire and split it into two conflicting Christian worlds.
Example Question #11 : Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The figural element reflects which artistic style?
Late Hellenistic Greek
European Renaissance
High Classical
Late Imperial Roman
Late Imperial Roman
The figures appear in a Roman style of dress and appearance, although their Christian elements, like the naked Adam and Eve, suggest it is a later Roman style.
Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The stylized columns in the work appear to be of what influence?
Late Etrusican
Classical Greece
Near Eastern
Celtic druid
Classical Greece
The Corinthian columns and stylized pediment are orginially from pagan temples and would have been introduced to the Romans by the Greeks.
Example Question #103 : 3 D Art
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The work does not demonstrate __________.
the notoriety of Junius Bassus
stylistic elements of the Classical Greeks
stylized Byzantine figural elements
the blending of Christian and Roman cultures
stylized Byzantine figural elements
The work is from the middle of the fourth century and would have predated the height of Byzantium.
Example Question #12 : Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Choose the best answer.
Byzantine art, which developed out of __________, abandoned the concept of perfection, symmetry and idealistic beauty. Instead, the art of the Byzantine Empire focused on symbolism, intricacy and the ornate.
Baroque art
ancient Greek art
Mannerism
ancient Roman art
the Italian Renaissance
ancient Roman art
Byzantine art evolved from ancient Roman art, although this transition is not superficially obvious. It is important to remember that the Byzantine Empire is at times referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire, and that the Byzantine people considered themselves to be Romans through the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. The evolution of style of Byzantine art occurred due to the fact that the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople were considered the bridge between Eastern and Western European cultures. The clash and intermingling of these cultures and religions is what created the unique style and appearance of Byzantine art.
Example Question #1 : Renaissance To Contemporary Sculpture
the following image is public domain, and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Donatello)#/media/File:Florence_-_David_by_Donatello.jpg
The work is noteworthy for bringing attention to __________.
the true end of Classical Paganism
the blending of Classical and Christian culture
the triumph of the anointed
the overt sexuality of the human body
the blending of Classical and Christian culture
David is the first instance in which there is a genuine blending of the Christian faith and the styles and forms of Classical figural art. Here is the first time that biblical figures are represented in the styles of the Classical masters. Yes, he is not the freestanding nudes we recognize- the Boxer, the Discus Thrower, those trim and muscled figures. David clings to the vestiges of Gothic figures, but he is nude and freestanding and has paved the way for more of his kind.
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