AP Art History : Ancient Through Medieval 2D Art

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #51 :2 D Art

The Lindisfarne Gospels, Durham Gospels, and the Book of Kells are all examples of__________.

Possible Answers:

tapestries

Poor Man's Bibles

illuminated manuscripts

catechisms

Correct answer:

illuminated manuscripts

Explanation:

Illuminated manuscripts, typically but not always Bibles or books of the Bible, were some of the highest forms of art of the Middle Ages. The Lindisfarne Gospels, Durham Gospels, and the Book of Kells are among the chief examples of illustrated manuscripts from the British Isles in the early Middle Ages. Art from the British Isles during this time period is referred to as being in the "insular style," which refers to the art produced in the islands between the departure of the Romans and the Norman Conquest.

Example Question #52 :2 D Art

What is not true concerning the Bayeux Tapestry?

Possible Answers:

It is embroidered fabric.

It was commissioned by Bishop Odo.

It is 230 feet long.

It is a woven tapestry.

Correct answer:

It is a woven tapestry.

Explanation:

The Bayeux Tapestry is actually an embroidered fabric, not a woven tapestry. It was commissioned by the English Bishop Odo, and it is 230 feet long and 20 inches high.

Example Question #53 :2 D Art

Which of the following can NOT be found represented on the Bayeux Tapestry?

Possible Answers:

William the Conqueror

Notre Dame Cathedral

Halley's Comet

Man-bearing ships

Correct answer:

Notre Dame Cathedral

Explanation:

The Bayeux Tapestry is like a Romanesque illuminated manuscript depicting the Battle of Hastings and its foregoing events. It is set in Normandy and England. Since Paris is not part of the setting, Notre Dame cathedral (which wasn't yet constructed) is not depicted.

Example Question #54 :2 D Art

Which of the following is NOT TRUE concerning the Bayeux Tapestry?

Possible Answers:

In style, its figures resemble those on a Romanesque illuminated manuscript

It depicts the Battle of Hastings

It exemplifies continuous narration, i.e., it tells a story sequentially

It is a woolen tapestry woven in Flanders

Correct answer:

It is a woolen tapestry woven in Flanders

Explanation:

The Bayeux Tapestry is actually an embroidery of wool thread on linen, not a woven tapestry. Its sequential panels tell the story of the Battle of Hastings and its preceding events. The figures' flat and out-of-proportion appearance resembles that of figures on medieval manuscripts.

Example Question #55 :2 D Art

In medieval hagiographic paintings, a figure holding keys represents__________.

Possible Answers:

St. Peter

St. Paul

Moses

Jesus Christ

Correct answer:

St. Peter

Explanation:

In the Christian tradition, Jesus is said to have given Peter the keys to his Kingdom, which the Roman Catholic church interpreted as making Peter the first Pope. In the highly symbolic and representative religious art of the middle ages, illiterate viewers could recognize St. Peter in painting by seeing him holding a set of keys.

Example Question #56 :2 D Art

The Bayeux Tapestry is a large tapestry that commemorates__________.

Possible Answers:

the defeat of Christian armies to the Almoravids in 1086

the East-West Schism of Christianity in 1054

the capture of Pope Leo XI in 1053

the Norman Conquest of England in 1066

Correct answer:

the Norman Conquest of England in 1066

Explanation:

贝叶挂毯是最著名的well preserved Medieval tapestries, a common artistic form of the time period that served as a pictorial chronicle. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the conquest of England by William II, Duke of Normandy, in 1066, and his defeat of the English King Harold Godwinson. The tapestry represents a certain kind of Romanesque art on a grand scale that has not survived in large numbers, while also serving as a historical record of William's conquest.

Example Question #57 :2 D Art

What does iconoclasm mean?

Possible Answers:

The copying of religious images

The destruction of religious images

The creation of religious images

Reverence shown toward religious images

Correct answer:

The destruction of religious images

Explanation:

破坏偶像再保险fers to the destruction of religious images. A government-led iconoclasm occurred in the Byzantine era after the reign of Roman Emperor Justinian saw an increase in the creation of icons.

Example Question #58 :2 D Art

A painting of a crucified Christ laying across the Virgin Mary is called__________.

Possible Answers:

the ecce homo

a salvator mundi

an arma Christi

a pietà

Correct answer:

a pietà

Explanation:

The pietàwas a common theme among Gothic and Medieval artists who were Christians and used religious themes because it was one of the most dramatic moments of Christ's crucifixion story. The pietà depicts a dead Jesus who has just been taken down from the cross laying across the Virgin Mary's lap, with Mary looking extremely sorrowful.

Example Question #59 :2 D Art

A stained-glass window in a cathedral depicting a variety of scriptural scenes is known as__________.

Possible Answers:

Poor Man's Bible

The Golden Legend

Rose Window

The Tree of Jesse

Correct answer:

Poor Man's Bible

Explanation:

The Poor Man's Bible was a way for the largely illiterate Medieval peasantry to be able to learn Bible stories despite their inability to actually read the Bible. In many cathedrals, most notably at Canterbury Cathedral in England, the Poor Man's Bible was a giant stained-glass window that had dozens of Biblical stories that could be easily referenced by priests and parishioners alike.

Example Question #60 :2 D Art

In Christian art, a painting of the three kings visiting the Christ child is known as__________.

Possible Answers:

"The Nativity."

"The Adoration of the Magi."

"The Road to Emmaus."

"The Annunciation."

Correct answer:

"The Adoration of the Magi."

Explanation:

"Adoration of the Magi" is an Anglicization of the Vulgate Latin phrase "a Magis adoratur,"a phrase found in the Gospel of Matthew. The scene, which features three distinguished men from the East visiting the newborn Jesus, was a popular one in Medieval art, thanks to its portrayal of precious gifts, ostentatious figures, and the Christ child in one scene.

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