AP Art History : Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century 2D Art

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century 2 D Art

 

Sir_anthony_van_dyck_-_charles_i__1600-49__-_google_art_project         

Figure 3

 150px-diego_vel_zquez_felipe_iv_cazador

Figure 4

In contrast to Figure 3, the King in Figure 4 is portrayed as __________.

Possible Answers:

an administrator

an outdoorsman

an autocrat

a coward

Correct answer:

an outdoorsman

Explanation:

In Spanish, this 1633 portrait by Diego Velazquez is known as "Felipe IV Cazador," or "Philip IV the Hunter." This portrait is atypical for Velazquez' portraits of Philip, which are usually in his palace or against a simple background. This was done presumably to show a different side of Philip, that expressed his love of the outdoors, hunting, and adventurous pursuits.

Example Question #12 : Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century 2 D Art

Sir_anthony_van_dyck_-_charles_i__1600-49__-_google_art_project     

Figure 3

 150px-diego_vel_zquez_felipe_iv_cazador

Figure 4

Each of these kings represented monarchs who believed in __________.

Possible Answers:

constitutional monarchy

oligarchy

absolute monarchy

representative democracy

Correct answer:

absolute monarchy

Explanation:

The image on the left is one of Anthony van Dyck's portrayals of King Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland, while the image on the right is a Diego Velazquez portrait of King Philip IV of Spain. As seventeenth-century monarchs, both kings believed in the divine right of kings to rule in an absolute monarchy. This worked out differently for each, however, as Philip IV ruled Spain at a time when it was at the apex of its power, and Charles I was the King who incited England into civil war.

Example Question #13 : Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century 2 D Art

Questions 7-12 are based on Figures 3 and 4.

Sir_anthony_van_dyck_-_charles_i__1600-49__-_google_art_project       

Figure 3

  150px-diego_vel_zquez_felipe_iv_cazador

Figure 4

Figure 3 most likely has three portraits because __________.

Possible Answers:

it is a study for a sculpture

it presents the King in different clothing

it shows off the artist's skill

all of the other answers

Correct answer:

all of the other answers

Explanation:

As a practical purpose, this triple portrait of King Charles I, by Anthony van Dyck, was probably needed so that a bust could be made by a sculptor the King could not sit for. In executing it, however, van Dyck gets to show the King in multiple ways, showing his ability to capture different elements of the King. The King wears different robes, and his smile is ever so slightly different in each image.

Example Question #14 : Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century 2 D Art

 

Sir_anthony_van_dyck_-_charles_i__1600-49__-_google_art_project     

Figure 3  

 150px-diego_vel_zquez_felipe_iv_cazador

Figure 4

Each of these paintings is an example of __________.

Possible Answers:

Renaissance art

Baroque art

late Medieval art

Rococco art

Correct answer:

Baroque art

Explanation:

Both Anthony van Dyck, who created the triple portrait of Charles I in Figure 3, and Diego Velazquez, who made the image of Philip IV in Figure 4, were leading lights of the Baroque era. Baroque painting featured stylized portraiture, high contrast between colors, and emotional approaches to its subjects. Each portrait demonstrates these characteristics quite well.

Example Question #15 : Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century 2 D Art

 

Sir_anthony_van_dyck_-_charles_i__1600-49__-_google_art_project       

Figure 3  

 

150px-diego_vel_zquez_felipe_iv_cazador

Figure 4

The painting in Figure 3 was made by a painter originally from modern-day __________.

Possible Answers:

Holland

Italy

Great Britain

Belgium

Correct answer:

Belgium

Explanation:

Anthony van Dyck, who created the image in Figure 3, Charles I in Three Positions, continued the English tradition of monarchs importing court painters. Anthony van Dyck was born in Antwerp, then in the Spanish Netherlands, but now in Belgium. Van Dyck had made a career in Italy in the 1620s, but was convinced by Charles to move to London to be the offical court painter there.

Example Question #16 : Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century 2 D Art

Self portrait with saskia

The principal subject of the work shown here is _________________.

Possible Answers:

historical figures

a royal couple

the artist and his wife

Biblical characters

Correct answer:

the artist and his wife

Explanation:

This work of art is known as Self-Portrait with Saskia. In the foreground is the artist, Rembrandt van Rijn, with his wife Saskia positioned slightly behind him. Rembrandt portrays them as ordinary people, rather than wealthy patrons or significant figures from history, a common theme of seventeenth century Dutch painting, but uncommon in other parts of Europe.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Self-portrait_with_Saskia.jpg

Example Question #541 : Ap Art History

Las meninas 01

For what reason did the artist include a wide range of servants and attendants in the work shown?

Possible Answers:

To illustrate the nasty attitude the royal family has towards their servants

To confuse the viewer about which person was a member of the royal family

To show the reality of the royal household, rather than an idealized version

To criticize the elevated status in which the royal family was held by commoners

Correct answer:

To show the reality of the royal household, rather than an idealized version

Explanation:

Diego Velazquez' painting is named Las Meninas, literally "The Maids of Honor" in Spanish, but the center of the painting is still the Infanta, Margaret Theresa, the daughter of the King and Queen of Spain. By showing the Infanta's retinue, including the maids of honor, a chaperone, dwarves, and pets, as well as himself painting the work, Velazquez presents the reality of the royal household in a critical, if non-judgmental, manner.  Adding to this effect is the presentation of the King and Queen in a mirror at the back of the room, putting the viewer in the position of the royal couple.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Las_Meninas,_by_Diego_Velázquez,_from_Prado_in_Google_Earth.jpg

Example Question #17 : Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century 2 D Art

Las meninas 01

The artist included a self-portrait in this work in order to show __________________.

Possible Answers:

his own disdain for the royal household

he placed himself on an equal level to the King and Queen

his superiority to the attendants and dwarves pictured

he was a significant part of the royal household

Correct answer:

he was a significant part of the royal household

Explanation:

Las Meninas is, essentially, a portrait of the royal household, especially the retinue of people surrounding the Infanta Margaret Theresa. In the middle of this portrait Diego Velazquez has included an image of himself painting the scene. Velazquez official position was as the court painter to Philip IV, King of Spain, which meant he lived and worked in the Alcazar, the royal palace of the Spanish Monarchs.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Las_Meninas,_by_Diego_Velázquez,_from_Prado_in_Google_Earth.jpg

Example Question #543 : Ap Art History

The style in which A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery was painted was unusual in what way?

Wright of derby  the orrery

Possible Answers:

He depicts a woman at the lecture

The highly dramatic lighting and scale that the painting takes on was normally used for religious or historical painting

Wright painted this with tempera paint, but the dominant medium of the time was oil

This painting featured technology that did not exist yet, so the orrery was entirely imagined

The painting features real-life people who were not of noble birth, but paintings at the time were predominantly of the wealthy

Correct answer:

The highly dramatic lighting and scale that the painting takes on was normally used for religious or historical painting

Explanation:

The style in which Wright painted A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery was normally reserved for "history painting." These paintings would often be scenes with historical or religious figures, or of mythological heroes, and usually had a moral implication. Wright chose to paint a scientific scene in this way, which emphasized the importance of the Enlightenment at the time.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wright_of_Derby,_The_Orrery.jpg

Example Question #17 : Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century 2 D Art

The positioning of the adults in the image was intentional and meant to represent a specific scientific theme -- which of the following does their positioning represent?

Wright of derby  the orrery

Possible Answers:

The planets in the solar system

The life cycle

The seasons of the year

The rotation of the Earth

The phases of the moon

Correct answer:

The phases of the moon

Explanation:

The positioning of each adult in the photo is meant to represent the phases of the moon -- new moon, half moon, gibbous moon and full moon. Wright demonstrates this by his dramatic use of light and shadow. The shadows on their faces illustrate what the moon looks like when it rotates around the sun.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wright_of_Derby,_The_Orrery.jpg

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