All AP Art History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #71 : Architecture
Both of these buildings are representative of ___________.
Renaissance architecture
Romanesque architecture
neo-classical architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
On the left is Notre Dame de Paris, the seat of the Archbishop of Paris, and on the right is Bath Abbey, a medieval Anglican church. Both of these buildings are prime examples of Gothic architecture, characterized by tall facades, ornate stonework, and large amounts of stained glass.
Example Question #71 : Architecture
The object in the middle of the building is a ___________.
Arab arch
rose window
nave
crypt
rose window
Rose windows were a common feature of Gothic architecture. The rose window in Notre Dame is one of the most famous.
Example Question #3 : Analyzing Gothic Architecture
The previous images are all public domain and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral.
When was this building constructed?
Sixteenth century
Seventeenth century
Fourteenth century
Fifteenth century
Fifteenth century
This church was constructed in 1436, at the height of the Gothic era of architectural construction. It cannot be the fourteenth century (1300s), as that was the Romanesque era, and churches were not being built with this kind of grandeur and detail. This is also, though, not a Renaissance building. You can tell this because the Renaissance boasted a revival of Classical Greek architecture, which is not seen here. The answer must be fifteenth century.
Example Question #4 : Analyzing Gothic Architecture
The previous images are all public domain and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral.
The large window on the front facade above the middle door is called __________.
a stained-glass window
a rose window
an oculus
an intrados
a rose window
The window is a Rose window, a staple of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and is very revealing of the time when it appears on a church. These were often made of stained glass, and featured intricate and delicate panes of glass that were in themselves a work of art. The Rose window always sits atop the middle door, and is sometimes flanked by smaller windows on either side.
Example Question #1 : Gothic Architecture
The previous images are all public domain and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral.
Which is the following is NOT a feature that sets this Gothic cathedral apart from its Romanesque predecessors?
A true Basilican plan
A tall Eastern facade
A large and overbearing Rose window
A King's Gallery
A true Basilican plan
The Gothic building tradition is a furthering of the Romanesque, and is more intricate and detailed than Romanesque counterpart buildings. The rose windows are larger and the stained glass more intricate. There was an introduction of the King's Gallery, the row of king sculptures that sit under the rose window. And the facades grew taller and taller until Gothic churches towered over the surrounding city. What didn't change, though, was the Basilican plan.
Example Question #2 : Gothic Architecture
The previous images are all public domain and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral.
The dome of this cathedral was built after the nave of the church and was architected by ____________.
Filippo Brunelleschi
Leonardo Da Vinci
Arnolfo Di Cambio
Andrea Orcagna
Filippo Brunelleschi
The main architect of the entire church was Arnolfo Di Cambio, who mastered the nave and the aisles. It was Brunelleschi, though, who pioneered the dome, which is the largest of its kind and was considered an architectural wonder of its time. He was a mathematical genius, and the dome reflected his prowess. Serving under him was the apprentice Leonardo da Vinci, who was young at the time and would go on to pioneer a number of Renaissance buildings.
Example Question #7 : Analyzing Gothic Architecture
The previous images are all public domain and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral.
The plan of the church is oriented like a cross following the plan of what building tradition?
Hall Church plan
Cruciform
Octagonal
Basilican
Basilican
This church is Basilican, which is noteworthy for its cross-style plan, where the long nave is flanked by an aisle on either side. It is longer than it is wide, like a cross would be. The church cannot be a hall plan, as it has aisles and is not oriented in a single rectangular plan. The same is true with octagonal; the church plan does not follow the format of an eight-sided church. Cruciform churches were not popular until much later than this point.
Example Question #8 : Analyzing Gothic Architecture
The previous images are all public domain and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral.
Who was the likely patron of this work?
The Medici family
The Italian King, Louis XIV
The Catholic denomination of Florence
The Eastern Orthodoxy
The Catholic denomination of Florence
The church at the time had more money than the state and the wealthiest families of Italy. Likely it was the Catholic church itself that commissioned the cathedral. Given also the time it took to build, kings had come and gone and the Medici had gain and subsequently lost their prominence in Italian society, but the church was omnipresent and dominating for the three hundred years it took to go from construction to completion.
Example Question #9 : Analyzing Gothic Architecture
The previous images are all public domain and can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral.
The cathedral facade is Gothic, but the dome is like an addition from what tradition?
Romanesque
Dada
Renaissance
Neoclassical
Renaissance
The dome is Renaissance; it was built two hundred years after the facade of the cathedral, under the guidance of Brunelleschi and his pupil, Leonardo da Vinci. both were pioneers of the Renaissance movement. Note also the shape and nature of the dome; it is very much in the tradition of Classical Greek and later Roman temple construction styles. It is meant very much to emulate the grandeur of the Parthanon, much like the rest of the Renaissance movement emulates Roman and Greek wonders.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Gothic Architecture
The supports visible on the side of the building are known as ______________.
flying buttresses
latticework
gargoyles
stilts
flying buttresses
A key feature of Gothic churches is their height. The supports on the sides were added to prevent structural problems. Known as "flying butresses", these supports were transformed from simple structural elements into elaborate ornamentation.
All AP Art History Resources
![Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors](https://vt-vtwa-app-assets.varsitytutors.com/assets/problems/og_image_practice_problems-9cd7cd1b01009043c4576617bc620d0d5f9d58294f59b6d6556fd8365f7440cf.jpg)