All AP Art History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : African Sculpture
Aesthetically speaking, what characteristics most consistently attribute themselves to the majority of the body of work comprising the ancient Egyptian figure?
Rigidity of pose and contradictory perspectives on the human figure
Desert aesthetics and representations of the lower classes
Contrapossto figures sculpted in the naturalist style
Monolithic monument construction depicting the pharaoh's divine figure
Rigidity of pose and contradictory perspectives on the human figure
Rigidity of pose and contradictory perspectives on the human figure are consistent features of most Egyptian, and ancient, figure representation throughout all Egyptian Kingdoms and Dynasties. Contrapossto figures, while present, are likely the result of the influence of foreign artisans and conquerors. Desert aesthetics were matched by depictions of the oasis created by the Holy Nile, and representations of the lower classes were secondary to that of ruling classes. Monolithic constructions, though often the most famous of Egyptian art, namely the pyramids, cannot be said to characterize the totality of Egyptian art, which represents centuries of diverse arrays of styles, mediums, and materials. This question helps students to differentiate between what is a common trope across a civilization's art history versus what pop culture associates with it, or with periods within it. Most importantly, the question focuses specifically on the Egyptian figure. Though the Great Pyramids and Egyptian art are synonymous, the student must focus on what specifically is being asked by the question.
Example Question #2 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
Which of the following is generally true about African sculpture?
Depictions of human beings and animals were banned for religious reasons
Historically, the most prized skill has been the exact recreation of human features without flattery
Statues were typically larger than life size to emphasize the subject's grandeur
Realist depictions are rare, with the head in particular being oversized
Realist depictions are rare, with the head in particular being oversized
Most African sculpture fits a tribal religious background, often depicting subjects that embody ancestors, spirits, or gods. Carved out of wood and stone, the statues were generally small enough to be relatively portable. These statues were usually human figures, but somewhat distorted in certain body parts, especially in the head and sexual characteristics.
Example Question #751 : Ap Art History
In Yoruba art, the most important body part portrayed in statuary is the __________.
hand
arm
heart
head
head
The Yoruba culture of Southern Africa is one of the key artistic hubs of the region, and produces remarkable works in sculpture, jewelry, and masks. One chief feature is the usual focus on the head, which the Yoruba traditionally believe is the home of the entirety of the person. This belief is best reflected in Yoruba busts, which do not even feature necks or shoulders, only the head itself.
Example Question #1 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
Traditional African masks typically portray all of the following EXCEPT __________.
ancestors
spirits of the earth
local animals
the actors under the masks
the actors under the masks
African masks are one of the chief examples of sub-Saharan artwork and are traditionally used in various African religious ceremonies. These ceremonies reflect traditional religious beliefs, which are usually based on spirit animism and ancestor worship; therefore, it is thought that the masks often allow the actors to take on something more powerful than themselves, including animals, ancestors, and various kinds of spirits.
Example Question #1 : African Sculpture
All of the following statements are true, in general, of the masquerade arts in Africa except _____________.
African masks rarely had any governmental purpose and served only as decorative objects, interesting as visual art pieces
a mask, combined with held objects, music, and dance gestures, invokes a specific named spirit character who is enacted a part of strongly ritualized dramas
for many groups in West and Central Africa, masking plays an active role in the socialization process, especially for men, who control most masking on the continent
most African masks serve, among many other purposes, to crystallize varieties of human behavior-- caricatured, ordinary, amusing, bizarre, serious, etc
especially before the advent of colonial rule, African masking societies boasted extensive regulatory and judicial powers
African masks rarely had any governmental purpose and served only as decorative objects, interesting as visual art pieces
African masquerade arts have been crucially important, particularly before the advent of colonialism. They function to serve many of the societies' governmental methods, and they serve to express cultural, dramatic, and artistic purposes.
Example Question #1 : African Sculpture
Polytheism is a basic consistency in Egyptian art and architecture. What Egyptian pharaoh changed the official state religion to a monotheistic one, spawning a 17 year anomaly of art dedicated to Aten, the sole deity in ancient Egypt?
Khnumnakht
Amenhotep/Akhenaton
Memisabu
Tutankhamun
Amenhotep/Akhenaton
During his 17 year reign, Amenhotep IV forbade the worship of any god with the exception of Aten, the power light embodied by the sun disk. This brief period represents a radical departure from what typically comprised Egyptian religion, which was a consistent cornerstone of ancient Egyptian art. An example of this is "Akhenaton Presenting a Duck to Aten."
Example Question #1 : Sculpture Of The Americas
The Olmec were the first major civilization of Mesoamerica and the Pre-Columbian era, flourishing from about 1500 BCE to 400 BCE.
The Olmec are perhaps most famous for which unique style of sculpture, made from volcanic rock?
Colossal heads
Sacrificial altars
They were not sculptors.
Small statuettes
Bowls and plates
Colossal heads
Very little is left from the Olmec civilization, and historians know very little about them as a whole, aside from pieces of evidence that point to certain advancements or characteristics such as being the first civilization in the Western Hemisphere to develop a writing system. The Olmec are recognized for their giant sculptures of heads made from volcanic rock, called the Olmec Heads. These heads have different characteristics and have been found all around the region where the Olmec lived. It can only be speculated how they moved such huge pieces of volcanic rock. Although the Olmec made other types of sculptures, relatively few of them have been found.
Example Question #2 : Sculpture Of The Americas
Large, elongated stone slabs covered in intricate carvings are typical of the Classic Period of Mesoamerican art. These sculptures, popularized by the Ancient Mayans, are known as __________.
zoomorphs
stelas
altars
stucco
lintels
stelas
Large, elongated Mayan stone slabs covered in intricate carvings are known as "stelas." They often depicted the ruler of the city they were located in, sometimes disguised as a god. Very few have been preserved.
Example Question #3 : Sculpture Of The Americas
__________ are large Mayan sculptures that consist of one large stone carved into the shape of animals or living creatures and covered in intricate relief sculpture.
Zoomorphs
Stucco
Lintels
Stelas
None of the other answers is correct.
Zoomorphs
Zoomorphs are large stones carved to resemble animals by the Mayans. They were often covered in relief sculptures. Zoomorphs may have been used as altars.
Example Question #11 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
The most well known type of Olmec art is __________.
intricate silver jewelry fashioned in complex shapes with gemstones
bas-relief sculptures illustrating the ritualistic Mesoamerican ballgame
large-scale fresco murals depicting massive battle scenes
colossal basalt sculptures that only depict the head of their subjects
colossal basalt sculptures that only depict the head of their subjects
The Olmec civilization dominated what is now Southern Mexico from roughly 1500 BCE to 400 BCE, laying the groundwork for the later civilizations of the Maya and Aztec. The most familiar and most impressive part of their civilization that has survived are basalt sculptures of heads that weigh between 6 and 50 tons, and which took extraordinary coordination to have the stones moved and sculpted into their proper forms.
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