AP Art History : Answering other questions about Early Christian, Byzantine, and Early Medieval sculpture
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The columns are in what style?
Corinthian
Etruscan
Ionic
Doric
Corinthian
The columns sport the leaves of an acanthus plant, which is stylistically representative of the Corinthian order.
Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The work was comissioned by __________.
A Christian Roman politician
A young Roman senator
An ancient Roman emperor
A church bishop
A Christian Roman politician
Junius Bassus was a powerful senator, and the owner of this work. He must have had enough wealth and influence to commission such a work for his death, and he must have been Christian to justify the imagery. He was not a Roman Emperor, and certainly not an "ancient" one, which typically refers to a period about a thousand years before Bassus lived.
Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
All of the following can be found in the work EXCEPT __________.
Roman imperial stylistic influence in the figural elements
visuals of the most prominent Christian stories
the first images of nude female forms
the dichotomy of Roman and Christian stylistic elements
the first images of nude female forms
Female figures have been nude almost since the beginning of figurative art. They are not new to the Romans, although they are seen less often.
Example Question #2 : Answering Other Questions About Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The work would have been placed in __________.
the ground.
a Christian mausoleum.
a Roman forum.
a pagan temple.
a Christian mausoleum.
The Christian motif is clear on the work, indicating it would have been on display in a Christian burial place. A sarcophagus would not have been placed in the ground, and this one is not pagan in nature.
Example Question #3 : Answering Other Questions About Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The time in which this work was produced was also a time of __________.
Macedonian conflict with the Nordic peoples
Roman imperial northern expansion
religious change in the Roman Empire
War with the Insular Celts
religious change in the Roman Empire
The sarcophagus was made in the middle of the fourth century, just as Chrisitanity began to reshape the Roman Empire and split it into two conflicting Christian worlds.
Example Question #101 : 3 D Art
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The figural element reflects which artistic style?
Late Imperial Roman
High Classical
Late Hellenistic Greek
European Renaissance
Late Imperial Roman
The figures appear in a Roman style of dress and appearance, although their Christian elements, like the naked Adam and Eve, suggest it is a later Roman style.
Example Question #102 : 3 D Art
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The stylized columns in the work appear to be of what influence?
Near Eastern
Classical Greece
Celtic druid
Late Etrusican
Classical Greece
The Corinthian columns and stylized pediment are orginially from pagan temples and would have been introduced to the Romans by the Greeks.
Example Question #103 : 3 D Art
Pictured above is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, originally from Rome.
The work does not demonstrate __________.
the notoriety of Junius Bassus
stylistic elements of the Classical Greeks
stylized Byzantine figural elements
the blending of Christian and Roman cultures
stylized Byzantine figural elements
The work is from the middle of the fourth century and would have predated the height of Byzantium.
Example Question #2 : Answering Other Questions About Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Sculpture
Choose the best answer.
Byzantine art, which developed out of __________, abandoned the concept of perfection, symmetry and idealistic beauty. Instead, the art of the Byzantine Empire focused on symbolism, intricacy and the ornate.
Mannerism
the Italian Renaissance
ancient Roman art
ancient Greek art
Baroque art
ancient Roman art
Byzantine art evolved from ancient Roman art, although this transition is not superficially obvious. It is important to remember that the Byzantine Empire is at times referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire, and that the Byzantine people considered themselves to be Romans through the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. The evolution of style of Byzantine art occurred due to the fact that the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople were considered the bridge between Eastern and Western European cultures. The clash and intermingling of these cultures and religions is what created the unique style and appearance of Byzantine art.
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