AP Art History : Understanding terminology that describes Early Christian, Byzantine, and Early Medieval sculpture
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History
All AP Art History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #2 : Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
What is included in a pilgrimage type church, such as St. Sernin in Toulouse?
Radiating chapels
Longer nave
All of the other answers are correct
Double side aisles
Tribune
All of the other answers are correct
Pilgrimage type churches housed large crowds on their journey to Compostela or other pilgrimage destinations. Thus, the churches were expanded to accommodate these crowds. The naves were extended; radiating chapels and tribunes were added to house the extra worshippers. Side aisles were doubled, and everything was built on a larger scale.
Example Question #3 : Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
What is a "reliquary"?
The medieval equivalent of a gravestone: a slab containing information about the dead individual buried underneath the site
The bone(s)/bodily object(s) of a dead saint
A container holding the bone(s)/bodily object(s) of a dead saint
A coffin containing the entire body of a saint
A container holding the bone(s)/bodily object(s) of a dead saint
"Reliquaries" are the containers of relics, or the fragmented body parts (usually the bone(s) or bodily object(s)) of a saint or other religious figure. "Reliquaries" varied in size and shape, and could range from a small amulet containing a pinkie finger to a large box containing a leg bone. Touch relics -or objects that had come in contact with a saint or other religious figure, such as a piece of clothing- might also be held within a reliquary.
Example Question #4 : Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Though __________ was implemented as early as Mesopotamian art, it is a technique that flourished as a part of Byzantine art. It consists of assembling small pieces of glass, stone, metal, and other assorted materials in order to form images and elaborate patterns.
diptych painting
portraiture
mosaic art
relief art
ivory art
mosaic art
Mosaics are one of the most important legacies of Byzantine art, and remained the envy of Western European artists for centuries to come. Mosaic art included patterns, abstract symbolism, and more realistic images.
Example Question #5 : Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
A "mandorla" in Romanesque sculpture is _________________.
a musical stringed instrument similar to a small harp
a sea monster in the nether regions
an oval of light
the vertical stone between the main entrance doors
an oval of light
A "mandorla" is an oval of light, typically surrounding the figure of Christ. "Leviathans" (sea monsters) were sometimes depicted in Romanesque Last Judgment scenes, ready to swallow up the condemned. The vertical stone between the portal doors is called a "trumeau."
All AP Art History Resources
