Students who come to Advanced Placement Art History, unlike students who take almost any other AP exam, often approach the material afresh at the beginning of the school year, with no prior study and no prior understanding of the subject. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the teacher as well as the student to confront a new subject with no preestablished prejudices. However, because the student has little background and must learn everything from scratch, the course can seem unusually daunting. All those works of art! All those images! All those unfamiliar names! All those vocabulary words! Civilizations rise and fall in only a week’s time in an art history classroom. There is definitely a need for this Barron’s book.
Ideally, this book serves as a refresher to complement a complete art history course. It does not function to replace any of the excellent survey texts available on the subject, nor does it pretend to duplicate any of the materials available through the College Board. However, it is a good way to easily organize study patterns for students who must deal with hundreds of images and must learn to discuss them in an intelligent way. This book can also double as a ready reference for teachers, students, and devotees of the subject as an educational resource.
Unlike textbooks in math, science, or social studies, art history books do not have review questions at the end of each chapter, and do not summarize what the student has learned. To meet this need, the teacher may wish to use the practice exams as a warm-up to the actual test. The more familiar students are with the actual exam, the more likely they are to score well on it.
A Note to the Student
You should be aware that this book is not a magic bullet to solve a year’s worth of lethargy. Optimally it should be used as a complement to the course, but it will also serve well as a systematic study program to prepare you for the exam. By March you should be reviewing the earliest material, slowly going over one art period after another. It is worthwhile going over every image in the book, whether or not it is familiar to you. The more breadth of experience you have, and the greater your understanding of the subject, the more likely you will be able to handle any question that comes your way.
THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION IN THE HISTORY OF ART: AN OVERVIEW
The Advanced Placement Examination in Art History is a 3-hour test composed of an hour of multiple-choice, followed by a short break, and then 2 hours of free-response. The format is as follows:
SECTION I: MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS. 1 hour.
This section features 80 multiple-choice questions. Some of the questions have images accompanying them, some do not. All of the images on the exam will be in color. You may move freely throughout this section. It is wise to answer those questions that you do know immediately and go back to ponder those that might cause a problem.
There is no penalty for guessing! Every answer should be filled in. Nothing should be left blank. If you are told by the proctor that you only have a few minutes left, bubble in all the remaining answers.
This is extremely important because the multiple-choice questions account for 50 percent of the grade!
SECTION II: FREE-RESPONSE SECTION. 2 hours.
This section is composed of six free-response questions, most associated with illustrations. There are two 30-minute essays and four shorter essays that are timed at 15 minutes apiece.
The two 30-minute essays usually allow students to choose from a wide array of options spanning much of the course. More rarely, they address one or two periods. You are free to move among the essays; they are not individually timed. You can answer them in any order, but make sure you answer all of them. Even if you draw a complete blank, do the best you can to respond.
A complicated series of calculations converts the combined raw score of the multiple-choice questions and the free-response essays into a grade of 1–5. A general rule of thumb is that three-quarters of correct responses will earn the candidate a top score of a 5. Two-thirds is a 4, and a little over half is a 3. These are guidelines, of course, but useful benchmarks nonetheless.
The five-point scoring system is standard among all AP exams:
5.Extremely well qualified. Almost all colleges and universities accept this score. Suggested college grade equivalent: A
4.Well qualified. Accepted by most colleges and universities. Suggested college grade equivalent: A-, B+, B
3.Qualified. Accepted by many colleges and universities. Suggested college grade equivalent: B-, C+, C
2.Possibly qualified. Accepted by few colleges and universities.
1.No recommendation. Not accepted anywhere.
There is no score of 0, although, believe it or not, there are students who submit completely blank exams.
As with every Advanced Placement exam, a predetermined percentage of students earn a final score of a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Care is taken to adjust scores according to the difficulty of the exam. Sometimes an examination that seems fair going into the process turns out to be difficult when students actually take it. Adjustments are made in the final scoring to balance a test that is unintentionally too easy or too difficult.
In May 2019, 24,476 students took the Advanced Placement Examination in Art History. Although that may sound like a huge number, it pales in comparison to most exams; Advanced Placement U.S. History gathered 501,530 students. However, art history, unlike most exams, has six written responses, all of which have to be individually read and scored over the course of one week of intensive grading.
A team of dedicated professionals (college professors, high school teachers, and assessment experts) form a leadership team that sets the standards for the exam before marking. Art historians from all over the United States, indeed from some parts of the world, then gather in Salt Lake City in June to mark the free-response sections of the test. A hundred or so teachers use the standards set by the leadership team as guidelines for scoring. All readers are supervised and even self-check their own work. Even supervisors are monitored. Readers are encouraged to consult one another if a question comes up about an essay. Everything is done to ensure equality of grading across the spectrum. All of this checking and rechecking has made art history one of the most reliable Advanced Placement exams for consistency of scoring.
To the greatest extent possible, every paper is given just consideration. You should know that everything you write is taken very seriously and is considered fairly.
The efforts to find precise and inoffensive terms to describe commonly held ideas have been a labor at the College Board. Instead of B.C. and A.D., which have been used as standard abbreviations in the Western world, a substitution of B.C.E. and C.E. (“before the Common Era” and “Common Era”) has been introduced. While this removes the potentially biased word “Christian,” it creates the paradox of using a Christian numbering system without recognizing it.
Also, several terms such as “non-Western,” “pre-Columbian,” and “primitive,” once standard in discussing art history, have been replaced by terms that are less exact, such as “art beyond the European tradition,” the “art of the Americas,” and “Oceanic art”—terms that are occasionally problematic.
You should also note that there are several ways of spelling names and objects that come from non-Roman scripts. In cases such as Mohammed/Muhammad, there is little to fear. But Dong QiChang is Tung Chi’Chang, depending on the method of translation used by a textbook. Every effort has been made to use the standard appearing across the spectrum of textbooks likely to be used in this class.
How accurate do you have to be about dates on the exam? Here are some rules about dates:
■If the object is very ancient, you have a 1,000-year window. For example, on the 2018 exam, those students who used the Palette of Narmer had a wide latitude given to them for the date. The instructions for the readers of the exam were “Date: c. 3000–2920 B.C.E. Also acceptable: third millennium OR a date within 1,000 years of the original.”
■For objects that are ancient but dating is more secure, you have a 100-year window. For example, also on the 2018 exam, those students who used the Alexander Mosaic had a spread of 100 years. “Date: c. 100 B.C.E. Also acceptable: first century B.C.E. OR a date within 100 years of the original.”
■For objects from the late Middle Ages to the twentieth century, when we have more of an understanding of when things were made, you are given a narrower window. On the 2018 exam, readers were told to give a 50-year spread for the Röttgen Pietà: “1300−1325 C.E. Also acceptable: early 1300s; middle 1300s; early/mid-fourteenth century; mid-fourteenth century; Gothic; late medieval Europe; OR a date within 50 years of the original (fourteenth century is NOT acceptable).”
■For the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, you have only a 10-year window. For Yinka Shonibare’s The Swing, on the 2018 exam, the following was acceptable: “Date: 2001 C.E. Also acceptable: first decade of the twenty-first century OR a date within 10 years of the original (twenty-first century is NOT acceptable).”
Here are other examples from released exams:
100 years
■Great Stupa at Sanchi. Date: c. 300 B.C.E.−100 C.E. Also acceptable: a date within 100 years of the original.
■Todai-ji. Nara, Japan. Date: 743 C.E.; rebuilt twelfth century; and c. 1700 C.E. Also acceptable: a date within 100 years of the original creation (743 C.E.) or twelfth-century restoration; OR within 50 years of the 1700 restoration.
■Borobudur Temple. Date: c. 750–842 C.E. Also acceptable: 700s; 800s; eighth century; ninth century; OR a date within 100 years of the original creation.
50 years
■The Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece). Date: 1427−1432 C.E. Also acceptable: early 1400s; early/mid-fifteenth century; first half of the fifteenth century; Northern Renaissance; Early Netherlandish; OR a date within 50 years of the original (fifteenth century is NOT acceptable).
■The Virgin of Guadalupe. Date: c. 1698 C.E. Also acceptable: late 1600s; early 1700s; late seventeenth century; early eighteenth century; OR a date within 50 years of the original (seventeenth or eighteenth century is NOT acceptable).
■Madonna and Child with Two Angels. Date: 1465 C.E. Also acceptable: mid-/late 1400s; mid-/late fifteenth century; second half of the fifteenth century; Italian Renaissance; OR a date within 50 years of the original (fifteenth century is NOT acceptable).
10 years
■Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef 2000). Date: 1994 C.E. Also acceptable: 1990s; last decade of the twentieth century; OR a date within 10 years of the original (twentieth century is NOT acceptable).
■Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People). Date: 1992 C.E. Also acceptable: 1990s; last decade of the twentieth century; OR a date within 10 years of the original (twentieth century is NOT acceptable).
WHAT’S NEW ABOUT THE REDESIGNED AP EXAM?
A great deal is new about the revised Advanced Placement Art History curriculum. The emphasis is still on addressing major works of art, but which works of art and how they will be addressed has changed. Here are the key differences:
1.Your teacher must teach all the works on the AP image list. Nominally there are 250 such works, but actually there are more like 400 because many of the monuments contain multiple views or ancillary material. Almost all of these works are pictured in this book.
2.Your teacher can teach additional works as well. These will not be tested in the multiple-choice section, but you can use them to answer any essay that says it welcomes choices outside the list. You can choose your own works as well and use them on the test where appropriate.
3.The new curriculum says that every work must be completely identified. In the past it had become acceptable to state the name and the artist of a work in order for it to be a complete identification. Now a complete identification is very complete. It includes:
a.Title
b.Artist, if known
c.Date
d.Medium and/or Materials
e.Culture of Origin or Art Historical Period
f.Location of architectural monuments
4.If you choose to use a work outside the official list, you must be able to identify it as completely as any work on the list.
5.Traditional discussions in art history are still in place. You still need to be able to intelligently describe what an object looks like (a formal analysis) and trace the history of artistic movements. A new emphasis, however, is placed on why and how the artistic movements change from one time and place to another.
6.Function and context are now stressed. Each work was created for a purpose, has a message, and was placed someplace significant. You should be able to intelligently discuss the circumstances around its creation, presentation, and reception.
7.Students will have to consider the role of the audience of a work of art. How can a work be interpreted one way by one group (i.e., a given culture, gender, or age) and differently by another group? How can context lead to a different interpretation?
8.Students are expected to have a firmer understanding of the various processes used to create works of art and of how these processes have an impact on what we see.
9.Students are expected to know the history of each object. You should be able to answer questions like:
a.What has happened to this object after it was created?
b.Does it still have the same significance it had when it was created? Why or why not?
c.How has it been altered since its creation?
d.Why or how do artistic traditions change and how is that seen in individual works?
10.There have always been attribution questions in the Advanced Placement Examination in Art History. That will not change. The attribution will shift to concentrating more on movements and periods than on individual artists. Students must be able to compare an unknown work to a work they know using stylistic analysis and contextual clues.
11.Most important: you must be able to compare works from various cultures and time periods. The comparisons could be of two landscapes, two still lifes, or two portraits. They could also be two works of very different functions, different contexts, and different intentions. A good exercise is to try to make the comparisons yourself to see how the works complement or challenge each other.
12.Your writing counts. What you say is as important as how you say it. There is no escaping this truth: in almost every test, a good writer outperforms a poor writer even when they both know the same amount of material.
ANSWERING THE MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
The Advanced Placement Examination in Art History requires the student to correctly answer as many of the 80 multiple-choices as possible. Each question has four possible responses, and you are asked to find the BEST answer. Often a case can be made for a second choice, but it does not fit as well as the first.
You should always do the following when approaching an AP multiple-choice question:
■Read each question twice.
■Remember that guessing is now permissible on all AP exams. Therefore, there should be no blanks on your paper!
Types of Multiple-Choice Questions
| Typically, multiple-choice questions ask for the following information | Study recommendations |
| Name of artist | Absolutely essential |
| Name of work | Absolutely essential |
| Period or movement of a work | Absolutely essential |
| Medium and/or Materials of the work | Absolutely essential |
| Date of the work | Essential; however, don’t overreact and spend all your time memorizing dates at the expense of other things. |
| Location | Absolutely essential only for architecture; for paintings and sculpture, it is not necessary to know the names of museums they are currently in. |
| Identification of key figures in the work | Absolutely essential |
| Art history vocabulary, and how these terms can be seen in an individual work | Absolutely essential |
| Influences on the artist | Important, and often asked. |
| How the work fits in/does not fit in with its times | Increasingly stressed. Works that have a political or cultural message are more apt to be used for questions like this. |
| Original setting of the work | Sometimes asked, especially if the setting is important to the interpretation of the work. |
| Patron | Asked if the patron had a great influence on the outcome of the work. |
| Symbolism/Subject matter | Sometimes asked, but increasingly this has fallen from favor. Symbols are mutable and subject to interpretation. |
| Key formal characteristics | A mainstay of traditional art history books. |
As you can see, there is much to know about each object, and each object raises individual concerns expressed independently from this chart.
Examples of Multiple-Choice Questions
Changing interpretations of works of art:
1.Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait has been the subject of many interpretations, including
(A)that it is a memorial to parents who are now deceased
(B)that it represents a joyful couple celebrating childbirth
(C)that Arnolfini is conferring legal and business privileges on his wife during an absence
(D)that Arnolfini is pledging support in a legal proceeding about to take place
Answer: (C)
Decision about how works of art will be designed:
2.Louis Sullivan’s decision to use steel coated in ceramic was a result of
(A)his experience working on the Eiffel Tower
(B)his understanding of why buildings were damaged by the Chicago Fire
(C)new technologies available at the beginning of the nineteenth century
(D)the introduction of cantilevers into early modern architecture
Answer: (B)
Cross-cultural comparisons:
3.When originally designed, the Palace of Versailles and the Ryoan-ji had this in common:
(A)the extensive use of stone and brick
(B)their use as hunting lodges
(C)the symbolism of a royal residence
(D)water as a design element
Answer: (D)
Location and meaning:
4.The location of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is important because
(A)it is built on the foundation of a previous monument
(B)the artist needed an intimate space to make the message seem personal to the viewer
(C)the monument aligns with the sun and has a cosmic interpretation
(D)it lies between other monuments and can be interpreted in a larger context
Answer: (D)
Cross-cultural impact on a work of art:
5.Gottfried Lindauer’s portrait of Tamati Waka Nene shows the impact of European art on an image of a Maori chieftain in that
(A)it is done in watercolor, a technique that comes from Europe
(B)the chief is wearing modern dress and is seen as if he were a European ruler
(C)the artist has used atmospheric perspective, a technique unknown in the Pacific at the time
(D)he is depicted wearing a beard, symbolizing wisdom
Answer: (C)
The function of an object:
6.This object has the function of being
(A)a crown placed over the head of a king
(B)an object to be circumambulated as part of a ritual
(C)a symbol of the soul of a nation
(D)a sacred vessel used in a Buddhist service
Answer: (C)
The influence of a single work on later works:
7.Monuments such as the Hagia Sophia directly influenced the construction of buildings such as
(A)Mosque of Selim II
(B)Great Stupa
(C)the Kaaba
(D)Chartres Cathedral
Answer: (A)
Materials:
8.The materials used to create the Hawaiian ‘ahu ‘ula were meant to signify
(A)the fleeting nature of life
(B)the rich abundance of tropical vegetation
(C)the sea, a main source of living things in the Pacific
(D)protection for the wearer from harm
Answer: (D)
Attribution:
9.The painting shown can be attributed to Pontormo because of
(A)its use of balance and symmetry
(B)a lack of perspective
(C)the crowded and complex composition
(D)the fact that it is an engraving
Answer: (C)
Influence:
10.Mary Cassatt drew inspiration from
(A)African masks
(B)Chinese scroll paintings
(C)Aztec sculptures
(D)Japanese prints
Answer: (D)
ANSWERING THE FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS
All of the essays are tied to eight art historical thinking skills that the College Board would like every successful student to master. These skills are the following:
1.Visual Analysis (Question 3): Students are expected to be conversant in the basic terms of visual analysis and to show how artistic decisions by an artist shape what we see.
2.Contextual Analysis (Question 4): Students are expected to understand the circumstances behind which a work of art is created, including things like function, setting, and patronage.
3.Comparisons of Works of Art (Question 1): Students are expected to examine similarities and differences between two works of art.
4.Artistic Traditions (Question 6): Students are to explain how a given work of art is typical of an artistic tradition, and also expands upon that tradition.
5.Visual Analysis of Unknown Works (Question 3): Taking all that is learned, students should be able to apply methods of analysis to a work they have never seen before.
6.Attribution of Unknown Works (Question 5): Students need to be able to attribute a work of art to a period, artist, or style by relating it to a work from the image set. They should be able to justify their attribution.
7.Art Historical Interpretations (Question 2): Students should be able to describe relevant interpretations of a work of art, many of which change over time.
8.Argumentation (Question 2): This is the most demanding aspect of the exam. It starts with the student forming a cogent thesis statement, and it is followed by examples that prove the statement to be true. It implies that the student understands the subtleties of the question and can frame the response as an argument that proves a point.
There are two types of essays on the Advanced Placement Art History examination: the four short essays of 15 minutes each and the two longer, more comprehensive essays that take 35 minutes for the first essay, and 25 minutes for the second. Each essay has a different function. Short essays concentrate on an individual concept in art history, asking specific questions about a given work. The longer essays generally have comparisons and expect a more cogent response. Question 1 involves two works of art, and Question 2 is a response to a single work of art. Question 1 will have an image. Question 2 does not have any images, and it requires you to remember the details of a given work.
Question 1: This is the longest essay, placed first on the exam so that the student is more likely to give a substantial response without test burnout. The student has 35 minutes to write a response. This essay is worth eight points.
Although 35 minutes are allotted for this response, this is only a suggestion and not enforced. You are free to move from this essay to the next and devote as much time as you like within the overall time frame.
This is the comparison essay. You will be given a work of art from the required image list and asked to compare it with another work of a similar theme—a work of your choice. For example, you could be asked to compare two images that depict religious figures, rulers, still lives, portraits, etc. The list of possibilities is nearly endless. There will always be a short list of suggested works of art that would be suited to the question. It is wise to choose one of these choices because you are assured that they fit the question. However, this is not required. Keep in mind that when readers are scoring the responses, they have a guide next to them that accesses what the correct responses should be for the suggested works.
For any work, regardless of whether or not you selected it from the list, you must supply two identifiers. If you are unsure if your identifiers are correct, supply as many as you can. Readers only score correct responses. For example, if the work in question is Hunters in the Snow, you can write Pieter Bruegel the Elder (or simply Bruegel), 1565, oil on wood. That’s three identifiers. But if you said tempera instead of oil or 1765 instead of 1565, it would be scored as correct as long as the other two identifiers are right. You can also simplify your responses. Artist’s first names are unnecessary, and spelling is not an issue—so long as the reader knows what you mean. The dates can be approximate.
For this question, and really for any question, you must have the capability of describing the visual elements of a work of art. It is handy to know words like contrapposto, chiaroscuro, symmetrical, atmospheric perspective—in other words, the tools of the artist. To that end, vocabulary is extremely important.
In a comparison question, naturally you must be able to tell how the works of art are the same and yet different, not in just their visual characteristics, but in how these characteristics convey meaning. For example, Theodora Panel and Kneeling statue of Hatshepsut show female rulers in a similar light, but yet the materials used, the places in which they are placed, and the poses they are in give us a completely different impression of these women. This is the kind of comparison that is needed in a solid essay.
If you would like to practice this type of question, there are examples at the end of the following chapters: “Africa,” “Gothic,” “Late Gothic,” “New Spain,” “Pacific,” and “Romanticism.”
Question 2: This is a new essay. This long essay is given 25 minutes for a response. This essay is worth six points.
This is a visual and a contextual essay that relies on a student’s ability to gather information relevant to a work of art and use it to defend a thesis statement.
This question has to be handled with care. Often students will be asked to select a work of art from a relevant time period—any attempt to use a different time period will nullify the essay. For example, the question might ask students to choose something from the contemporary world or East Asia. Once again, you are wise to select a work of art from the suggested list. In this way, you don’t have to worry about whether or not your choice is appropriate. Once again, you must provide two identifiers to earn the first point.
Your response has to be directed to the prompt, which is usually an art historical consideration. For example, how do artists use color to evoke meaning? You are asked to provide a thesis statement which can be defended by your example—this also earns a point. You must then proceed to support your claim by using at least two examples of visual and/or contextual evidence. If you have more examples, certainly use them. Remember that the readers only score what is correct. If you write four examples and only two are correct, you still earn the full two points allotted. Keep in mind that your examples must always refer back to the thesis statement. To earn full credit for the question, you must supply a complete, nuanced reading of the work of art as it pertains to this question. This means that your essay must be of some length so that you can adequately discuss the ideas you present. Be sure to point to exact passages in a work of art where your examples can be found. In other words, don’t just say that a color represents a certain emotion, point out where it is used in your work and explain the exact emotion the color depicts, and then point out how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
One of the new art historical thinking skills being tested on this exam, and in particular in this question, is argumentation. To earn the argumentation point, it is necessary to have a solid thesis statement supported by evidence that shows that the student can analyze, think clearly, and make insightful connections.
If you would like to practice this type of question, there are examples at the end of the following chapters: “China,” “Contemporary,” “Early Italian Renaissance,” and “Islamic.”
Question 3: Visual Analysis: This is a short, 15-minute question that is worth five points.
This question tests your ability to visually analyze a work of art based on all the principles of art history you have learned about this year. It may involve a work on the image set (as in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper on the 2019 exam) or an image that looks similar to something in the image set. The visual analysis is primarily formal, though it can also be iconographic. Students may be asked to connect, as in this case, the visual analysis to the large historical context of the Renaissance.
There are no identifications in this essay. To earn points, you are expected to analyze the visual elements in a work of art. You are not supposed to list them! You are supposed to apply the tools you have learned this year to the given work presented to you. You are also expected to go deeper, by explaining why the artist chose these techniques and applied them to a given work. To earn a final point, you are expected to see these techniques as part of a tradition that may have been adapted by that artist.
For example, Diego Rivera uses the time-honored technique of fresco painting, which has been around since ancient times. However, he uses it in a different way, creating huge murals in public spaces. A good essay will discuss fresco as a technique and then show how Rivera adapted it for his own purposes in a work like Alameda Park.
Remember: even if a question does not ask you about a work of art in the required curriculum, that does not mean you cannot reference it to make a point!
If you would like to practice this type of question, there are examples at the end of the following chapters: “Ancient Near East,” “Early- and Mid-Twentieth Century,” “High Renaissance,” and “India.”
Question 4: Contextual Analysis: This is a short, 15-minute question that is worth five points.
This essay question tests the student’s ability to put a work of art in the context of the times it was created. It will be based on a work of art in the required content, and the work will be illustrated for your reference. For example, the 2019 exam asked students to connect the David Vases to the large context of the Silk Road.
Keep in mind that sometimes contextual and visual elements are intertwined when discussing a work of art, and this means it would be completely appropriate to bring up visual issues when discussing context. Context is an umbrella term that includes all of the following: patronage, function, style, materials, techniques, and location. It also includes a discussion of how a work of art was received when it was originally brought before the public, and what its subsequent reception has been. (We can assume that the current reception is good, otherwise the College Board would not be asking you to know this work.)
If you would like to practice this type of question, there are examples at the end of the following chapters: “Americas,” “Byzantine,” “Early Medieval,” “Greek,” “Late Antique,” “Prehistoric,” and “Romanesque.”
Question 5: Attribution: This is a short, 15-minute question that is worth five points.
This question is based on a work of art that you have not studied as part of the required course content. However, it assumes that you are familiar enough with the style of a work of an artist or a movement that you can place it in its proper context.
An image is provided. You are asked to attribute the work a specific culture or artist. Your attribution is key, because it will throw off your whole essay if you indicate the wrong artist. You need to then justify your attribution by mentioning at least two examples of visual or contextual evidence relating the work to a work in the image set. For example, if the unknown work is by Maya Lin, it would be wise to show why it looks like Lin’s work, when comparing it to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Definitely reference a work in the image set! Feel free to compare the similarities between, in this case, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and, for example, the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. Once again, if the question asks for at least two examples, feel free to supply as many as you can. This will make for a more substantial and solid response.
If you would like to practice this type of question, there are examples at the end of the following chapters: “Japan,” “Late-Nineteenth Century,” “Northern Renaissance,” and “Rococo/Neoclassicism.”
Question 6: Continuity and Change: This is a short, 15-minute question that is worth five points.
This question asks the student to see a work of art as part of a continuum. For example, a work could be a link in a long tradition of self-portraits, or woodcuts, or museum design. An image will be provided and generally completely identified.
A solid response will show how a work fits in within a given tradition. Once again, you should provide at least two reasons why, and more would be welcome. The question might also challenge you to describe how the work is innovative within that tradition, or reflects a more individualized approach to a given tradition.
If you would like to practice this type of question, there are examples at the end of the following chapters: “Baroque,” “Egyptian,” “Etruscan,” and “Roman.”
GENERAL RULES ABOUT ESSAYS
1.Never use value judgments or matters of taste or opinion in an essay. For example, never say that a work of art is “better” than another, or that the artist used perspective “better” or color “better.” Instead, express differences in terms of values that few can object to, such as: “Painting A has more vivid colors than painting B, as can be seen in the figure on the left”; “sculpture A is more classically composed than sculpture B, as can be seen in the contrapposto in the figure on the left”; “building A is located in a city square, whereas building B was built in a rural area.”
2.Never use the word “perfect” or say that a work of art is, for example, “the perfect expression of Christian belief.”
3.Never use “able” or “unable,” as in “The artist was unable to capture the feelings of sorrow in…” Also don’t use “attempt,” as in “The artist attempts to show foreshortening.” What precisely does this mean?
4.Never express a preference. Don’t tell the reader that you like one work more than another. It is irrelevant to the exam.
5.Be careful of the word “unique”—it means one of a kind. It does not mean special. If a work of art is unique, it means that there is no other work like it. Use it sparingly. Avoid redundant expressions like “very unique.”
6.Avoid complimenting the artist on the work he or she has done. Do not say that “Michelangelo did a good job of showing perspective…”
7.People in works of art are “figures,” not “characters.” Characters are parts in plays.
8.Avoid phrases like “piece of art.” Use “work of art” or “work.”
9.It is correct form to underline the titles of works of art, with the exception of the names of buildings. In this book, italics have been substituted for underlining.
10.Always identify a work of art clearly, not generically. For example, don’t identify by simply using the word “icon.” There are so many! Say, instead, “the icon of the Virgin and Child between Saints Theodore and George.” Similarly, don’t use words such as “cathedral” or “pyramid” as a method of identification. Use instead “Chartres Cathedral” or “the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt.”
11.Do not list your response. Do not use bullet points. Write complete sentences. Make sure that you write in full paragraphs.
Below are 25 works of art that are randomly arranged. Fill in the grids below being sure to list the characteristics of the work that recall works in the official image set.
The answer key at the end will reference the works of art in this book that are related to these works.
1.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
2.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
3.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
4.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
5.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
6.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
7.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
8.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
9.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
10.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
11.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
12.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
13.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
14.
|
Architect: Period: Characteristics of this architect as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
15.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
16.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
17.
|
Architect: Period: Characteristics of this architect as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
18.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
19.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
20.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
21.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
22.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
23.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
24.
|
Period: Characteristics of this period as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
25.
|
Artist: Period: Characteristics of this artist as seen in this work: 1. 2. 3. |
Answer Key
1.Figure 2.2 (page 113)
2.Figures 4.19a, 4.19b (page 156)
3.Figure 17.10 (page 336)
4.Figure 6.14 (page 183)
5.Figure 12.8 (page 263)
6.Figure 24.5 (page 455)
7.Figure 9.7a (page 219)
8.Figure 27.6 (page 507)
9.Figure 17.8 (page 334)
10.Figure 9.5 (page 218)
11.Figure 25.5 (page 473)
12.Figure 4.3 (page 145)
13.Figure 26.1d (page 481)
14.Figure 19.5a (page 359)
15.Figure 11.4a (page 248)
16.Figure 21.3 (page 387)
17.Figure 17.2a (page 328)
18.Figure 27.9a (page 509)
19.Figure 23.7a (page 439)
20.Figure 15.4 (page 302)
21.Figure 28.7 (page 525)
22.Figure 22.4 (page 406)
23.Figure 17.4a (page 331)
24.Figure 5.4 (page 166)
25.Figure 27.14 (page 512)
CONTINUITY AND CHANGE PRACTICE
1.Explain how The Virgin of Guadalupe represents both a continuity and a change within the traditions of European art.
|
|
Continuity 1. 2. 3. |
Change 1. 2. 3. |
2.Explain how these Greek sculptures represent both a continuity and a change within the traditions of ancient art. Titles of Works:
|
|
Continuity 1. 2. 3. |
Change 1. 2. 3. |
3.Explain how these paintings represent both a continuity and a change within the traditions of modern art. Titles of Works:
|
|
Continuity 1. 2. 3. |
Change 1. 2. 3. |
4.Explain how this building represents both a continuity and a change within the traditions of domestic architecture. Title of Work: _______________________________
|
|
Continuity 1. 2. 3. |
Change 1. 2. 3. |
5.Explain how the sculpture of Buddha on the right represents both a continuity and a change within the Buddhist tradition, as represented on the left. Titles of Works:
|
|
Continuity 1. 2. 3. |
Change 1. 2. 3. |
Answers Explained
1.Continuity:
■Images of Mary are a constant in Catholic art, particularly art from colonial Latin America.
■Images of Mary are often surrounded by depictions of episodes from her life.
■Images of Mary are often painted in shimmering tones with rich colors.
■Images of Mary are often framed in elaborate casings.
Change:
■This work illustrates a particular moment in the divine appearance of Mary to Juan Diego.
■Brocade on Virgin’s robes are made of enconchados.
■Enconchado paintings often include ornate frames inspired on Japanese Nanban lacquer work.
■In Guadalupe images, Mary always stands on a crescent moon surrounded by sunrays with clouds behind her.
■An eagle perched on a cactus at the bottom center is a symbol of Mexico today.
2.Title: Doryphoros by Polykleitos and Winged Victory of Samothrace
Continuity:
■Large heroic figures.
■Sculpted in marble.
■Contrapposto stance.
■Carved in the round.
■Freestanding.
Change:
■The Doryphoros is classical: has idealized proportions; avoids eye contact; has a far-away look on the face; is heroically carved.
■The Winged Victory is Hellenistic: has dramatic action; is in a swirling, complex composition; shows the effect of wind and rain on the garments; displays virtuoso carving.
3.Title: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso and The Portuguese by Georges Braque
Continuity:
■Modern art continues to experiment with forms of abstract, based on the works of Cézanne, a generation before.
■Cubism seeks to break down a figure from its realistic shape into a series of interlocking planes.
■The Picasso work shows the influence of Iberian sculpture and African masks.
Change:
■The Braque work incorporates text into the composition.
■The Braque painting increases the abstraction to the point in which the subject matter is suggested by the title and a few recognizable shapes.
■The color palette is reduced and contributes to the refining of forms.
4.Title: House in New Castle County, Delaware by Robert Venturi, John Rauch, and Denise Scott Brown.
Continuity:
■It is a domestic building designed for three people.
■It is designed with the interests of the patrons in mind. For the wife, a musician, a music room was created with two pianos, an organ, and a harpsichord. For the husband, a bird-watcher, large windows were installed facing the woods.
■Large, clean modern spaces offer an open spacious interior.
Change:
■The façade contains an arch inside a pediment form.
■A squat bulging Doric colonnade is asymmetrically placed.
■The columns are actually flat rather than traditionally round forms.
■The drainpipe at left bisects the outermost column.
■The flattened forms on the interior arches echo the exterior flat columns.
■The interior forms reflect a craftsman’s hand in curved, cutting elements.
5.Title: Jowo Rinpoche enshrined in the Jokhang Temple and Todai-ji, Great Buddha
Continuity:
■General characteristics of a Buddha are maintained, including: large figure made of precious metals; seated; surrounded by other Buddhist figures.
■Offerings are placed before the Buddha.
■Candles are lit before the Buddha.
■The statue is often dressed.
Change:
■It is the largest metal statue of Buddha in the world.
■It is a monumental feat of casting.
■Buddha takes on a more forbidding appearance; more of a hieratic image.
■Emperor Shomu embraced Buddhism and erected sculpture as a way of stabilizing the Japanese population during a time of economic crisis.
CONCORDANCE OF THE AP CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK AND BARRON’S AP ART HISTORY
This Barron’s book is organized according to the cultural groupings that have been traditionally used in art history, and thus conforms to the approach used in most classrooms and to the structure used in most college-level survey texts. It is hoped that the student can use this book as a supplement to classroom instruction as the year progresses. However, the College Board has reorganized much of the material in a chronological format so that the dates often cross cultural boundaries. This table is meant to coordinate the College Board image set numbers and identifications with the figures in this book.
