Ancient Through Medieval 2D Art - AP Art History

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Question

In Medieval Art, a figure depicted wearing a robe of camel hair represents __________.

Answer

John the Baptist is one of the most significant figures in Christian history, and was a frequent figure in Medieval art. He is easily identified with his cloak of camel hair, a description taken from the Gospel of Mark. John the Baptist is also usually depicted with a dove, as both were seen as signals of the coming Messiah in Jesus Christ.

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Question

All of the following characterize Byzantine art except _________________.

Answer

Key words identifying Byzantine art are flat, floating, frontal, and gold. Rather than the realism and naturalism of Greco-Roman art, Byzantine art is focused on the spiritual or other-worldly. Therefore, it is less realistic, and shows its figures as more floating and unconnected with this world.

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Question

Bayeuxtapestryscene57

The intent behind the creation of this work of art is best stated to be _________________.

Answer

The Bayeux Tapestry was notable as one of the first large scale pieces of art to celebrate and record a massive military victory in Europe since the Romans. As painting and sculpture had significantly faded in scale since the fall of the Roman Empire, tapestry was one of the few artistic mediums that was available to the Norman leaders who created it. With William the Conqueror being a foreign King in England, it also was created to glorify William and show the failings of the defeated English armies.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Odo\_bayeux\_tapestry.png

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Question

Meister von san vitale in ravenna 003

The figure depicted in the center of this work is _________________.

Answer

This work of art is known as "The Justinian Panel," precisely because it depicts the Emperor Justinian I of the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire. Justinian reconquered the fallen Western portion of the Roman Empire, which included the Italian Peninsula, where this mosaic is located in Ravenna's Basilica of San Vitale, and he is appropriately represented in honor and glory. While surrounded by bishops and officials, Justinian is the only figure in the traditional "Tyrian purple" of Royalty in the Roman Empire and Medieval Europe, as well as being shown with a posthumous halo, showing his status as a Christian saint.

Image accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emperor\_Justinian\_%26\_entourage\_in\_St\_Vitale,\_Ravenna.JPG

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Question

The main reason few ancient Roman paintings survive is __________.

Answer

The visual arts in Ancient Rome were well-respected across a number of genres, including painting, sculpture, and ceramics. Painting, according to ancient sources, was valued as highly as the other forms of art, but very little of it has survived to the present day. Among the well-preserved examples of Roman painting are those from the sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were all buried under volcanic ash, rather than having the paint exposed to the elements.

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Question

Vase paintings in Greece were not held in the highest regard, and are rarely mentioned in the era's literature.

What is so important about vase paintings that vases continued to be produced throughout the Greek states?

Answer

Most people in Ancient Greece could not read, and vase paintings were a simple and cheap method of conveying religious stories and myths that the common person could understand.

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Question

______________ was/were the frequent subject of art during the time period of Imperial Rome.

Answer

The emperor (or Caesar) was often the subject of imperial art. The Romans saw their emperor as both a religious and political figure and celebrated their position through their art forms. Similar to the pharaohs of Egypt, the emperor was considered a "God" in his own right.

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Question

Which group of people is largely credited for inspiring Roman art and architecture?

Answer

Art and architecture in Rome was greatly influenced by the Greeks. Greece was conquered by Rome in 146 BC and since then, Roman art was interwoven with Greek art.

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Question

What was the main function of Roman art?

Answer

The Romans were proud of their art and used it mostly for showing off to others and decoration. After Pompeii was excavated, it was obvious that the Romans liked adding decoration to not only their home, but also everyday objects such as utensils and furniture.

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Question

What was NOT considered inspiration for classical Greek art and sculpture?

Answer

Classical Greek art took inspiration from beauty, nationalism and religion. These elements can be found throughout their architecture, paintings and sculptures. The beauty of Greek women were captured through paintings and sculptures of their form. Gods and deities are found throughout various pieces of art as well.

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Question

Examples of Christian art before the conversion of the Emperor Constantine in 312 CE are rare because __________.

Answer

The conversion of the Emperor Constantine in 312 CE at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge was a turning point for Christianity, as it began to move it from a persecuted religion to an official, state-sponsored one. The art of Christians before Constantine is little known today because of the widespread persecution, while most images of Jesus and the disciples only developed in the fourth and fifth centuries as Christianity became the Roman state religion.

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Question

"Byzantine Iconoclasm" refers to a time period in the history of the Byzantine Empire when __________.

Answer

The term "iconoclasm" in art generally refers to any attempts to ban religious imagery or iconography. In the Byzantine Empire, such a movement occurred in two separate waves, once in the eighth century and again in the early ninth century. This was particularly notable, as the Greek Orthodox Church had traditionally utilized icons in a variety of religious capacities.

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Question

In medieval art, the holy spirit is often depicted as a(n) __________.

Answer

During the baptism of Jesus, all four gospels of the New Testament describe the holy spirit coming down from the heavens as "a bodily shape, like a dove on him." Because of the uniform description, this symbol became inextricably linked to the holy spirit and was used frequently in medieval art.

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Question

In medieval iconography, the four evangelists (the authors attributed with writing the Gospels) are depicted as __________.

Answer

The four evangelist symbols are the man (symbol for Matthew), the lion (symbol for Mark), the ox (symbol for Luke), and the eagle (symbol for John). These symbols have classical origins, though their use within Christian theology stems from the "four living creatures" that drew the throne-chariot of God in the Book of Ezekiel and later in the Book of Revelations. These four animals can be seen as a hierarchy of animal types (with man on top and bird on the bottom), but are also meant to represent the nature of Christ as well as the virtues needed for salvation.

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Question

Of the following, which is NOT a biblical typology (or biblical foreshadowing/comparison) commonly depicted in medieval art?

Answer

Biblical typologies refer to the practice of comparing Old Testament texts with New Testament text and speaking of the Old Testament as a foreshadowing of Christ's life and death in the New Testament. Often, as in medieval art, this comparison was done visually. Sometimes this typology could be taken one step further, and kings or other powerful contemporary figures might also be compared to biblical figures to assert their holiness.

Jonah is a biblical typology for Christ in that his three-day "entombment" in the belly of the whale and ultimate release from the belly was a foreshadowing of the death of Christ and his resurrection three days later. King David is a typology for Jesus because they are of the same lineage, but also because Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords and is thus seen as the "new David." Finally, the story of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son, Isaac, is a typology for God's ultimate earthly sacrifice of his son, Jesus. Thus, there is no typology of Adam and Joseph.

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Question

Two events led to the flourishing of Byzantine art. The establishment of Constantinople in 330 created a Christian artistic center in the east. Before that, __________ finally allowed public Christian worship and expressions of faith. This development led to a new and thriving Christian artistic scene.

Answer

The Edict of Milan was an agreement by Constantine I and Licinius that allowed for the fair and benevolent treatment of Christians residing within the Roman Empire. Although Christianity did not become the official religion of the Roman Empire, it did attain legal status and protection that it did not have before.

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Question

Following the birth of the Russian Orthodox Church in the late tenth century, which eventually led Russia to be the new center of European Orthodox church, Russian icon painting principally developed as a direct imitation of __________.

Answer

The Byzantine era ended with the Fall of Constantinople in 1453; however, by this time, Byzantine culture had spread into Russia and the surrounding areas, including the Balkans, taking with it Orthodox Christianity. After the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans, Russia became the new center of the Orthodox church, and Russian icon painting took directly after the art and culture of the Byzantine Empire. It can be said that along with Orthodox Christianity, Russia inherited Byzantine culture and sensibilities as well.

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Question

Bayeuxtapestryscene57

The upper and lower bands in this work of art generally show ______________________.

Answer

The upper and lower bands of the Bayeux Tapestry depict a wide variety of images, with the only running theme being that they are everyday scenes which bear little relation to the main story of William's Conquest of England. Usually, these depict agricultural or rural scenes, but also include new pieces of technology such as the harrow, a fashionable agricultural implement.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Odo\_bayeux\_tapestry.png

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Question

A work such as the Vienna Genesis was illuminated in order to ________________.

Answer

The Vienna Genesis, one of the earliest illustrated manuscripts still in existence, presents the first book of the Bible in the top half of the page with brightly colored illustrations covering the lower half. Created among the Christian communities of the Ancient Near East in about the Sixth Century C.E., the Vienna Genesis was more than just the scripture. An illustrated manuscript was extremely expensive to make and would have been a prized possession of the church where it resided, and the illustrations allowed the large amount of illiterate members to understand the stories presented on each page.

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Question

Meister von san vitale in ravenna 003

The men placed to the right of the central figure in this work of art are ___________________.

Answer

The Justinian Panel, shown here and placed in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravena, Italy, portrays the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I surrounded by important officials. To the left of the work (on the Emperor's right hand side) are military and political officials, while to the right of the work (on the left of the Emperor) are religious and church leaders. In addition to their positioning, the figures on the right of the work are clad in white robes with incense, shawls, and sacred texts, all traditional trappings of the clergy.

Image accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emperor\_Justinian\_%26\_entourage\_in\_St\_Vitale,\_Ravenna.JPG

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