All AP Art History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Ancient Greek And Roman Architecture
Female figures supporting an overhang in place of columns are known as __________.
serdabs
kouros
caryatids
amphorae
caryatids
Often found in Ancient Greek architecture, female figures used as part of or in place of plainer columns are known as caryatids.
Example Question #22 : Ancient Greek And Roman Architecture
What is not part of the Doric order, one of the three Classical Greek architectural orders?
Shaft
Base
Stylobate
Abacus
Stereobate
Base
Columns in the Doric order sit directly on the stylobate without a base. The other two Classical Greek orders, Ionic and Corinthian, both employ bases.
Example Question #811 : Ap Art History
A ______________ column resembles a Doric column, but it is unfluted and has a base.
Ionic
Tuscan
Corinthian
Cycladian
Tuscan
Tuscan columns are the standard type of Etruscan column. They closely resemble Doric columns, but are usually made of wood, have a base and are not fluted along the shaft.
Example Question #218 : 3 D Art
The chamber at the center of an ancient temple is called a ________________.
caldarium
cella
peristyle
cubiculum
cella
The "cella" is the central room or chamber of an ancient temple; often this is where the cult statue of the god or goddess would be set up.
Example Question #219 : 3 D Art
A _____________ is a circular building in Greek and Roman architecture.
tholos
rotunda
mausoleum
basilica
tholos
In Greek and Roman architecture, a circular building is called a tholos. The tholos (plu. tholoi) is more common in Greek architecture than in Roman architecture; normally they were used for circular temples or shrines. In the Mycenaean tradition, the term "tholos" refers to a kind of circular, beehive-shaped tomb.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Ancient Greek And Roman Architecture
A horizontal area of sculpted decoration on a wall close to the ceiling is known as a(n) ___________________.
cornice
architrave
entablature
frieze
arcade
frieze
A frieze is a sculpted decoration near the ceiling of a temple or other structure from classical architecture. The rest are all other architectural terms: an entablature is the upper section of a building's facade supported by columns; a cornice is the top part of the entablature; an architrave is the lower part of the entablature; and an arcade is a series of columns with arches spanning the distance between them.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Ancient Greek And Roman Architecture
A __________ is a triangular gable found over major architectural elements, especially the porch of Classical temples.
Entablature
Stylobate
Echinus
Pediment
Pediment
The triangular gable over a major architectural element is called a pediment. In Classical and especially Greek temples, the pediment is decorated with a sculpture that tells a story or a myth. The pediment is the defining architectural feature of the Classical temple, and it also shows up a lot in Greek Revival architecture in Europe and the United States.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Ancient Greek And Roman Architecture
The ______________ refers to the use of a different architectural order (Tuscan, Ionic, Corinthian) on each level of a building, as on the Colosseum.
progression of orders
rhythmos
progression of columns
symmetria
progression of orders
The use of different architectural orders on each level of a building is called the progression of orders. In Classical architecture, each "order" refers to a particular style, identifiable mostly by the profile and proportions of the columns. The progression of orders takes these structural elements and uses them as decorative elements, especially in Roman and Neoclassical architecture.
Example Question #11 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Ancient Greek And Roman Architecture
A(n) ___________ is a circular opening at the top & center of a dome.
ambulatory
impluvium
apse
oculus
rose window
oculus
This is the definition of an oculus, and can be found in the Pantheon and other Roman & Greek buildings.
The only other answer that is an open design is the rose window, but those are not found in the top of a dome.
The apse and ambulatory are specific areas in a basilica plan church, not a part of a dome.
The impluvium is an indented/sunken area in a structure to collect rain.
Example Question #812 : Ap Art History
The Parthenon is considered the height of Classical building construction, and is situated atop the great Athenian Acropolis. It has a 9:4 length to width ratio as well as a slightly convex base and carefully carved metopes.
To what temple order does the Parthenon belong?
Ionic
Phidian
Doric
Corinthian
None of the other answer choices is correct.
Doric
The 9:4 proportions, the slight curving of the base to make the temple look flat from far, and the metopes are all iconic of the Doric order. All other orders use slenderer proportions and do not have metopes in the frieze.
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