AP Art History : Answering other questions about nineteenth-century architecture

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About Nineteenth Century Architecture

The particular innovation that allowed large-scale skyscrapers to be built was __________.

Possible Answers:

latticework

wrought iron

steel-frame construction

balloon frame construction

Correct answer:

steel-frame construction

Explanation:

Until the late nineteenth century, buildings had serious vertical size restrictions due to the weight placed on them by bricks and other traditional materials. With the introduction of steel, an alloy of iron, new possibilities were available to builders. In particular, the use of steel-frame construction, which built a "sheet" around steel beams, allowed for buildings stretching taller than ten stories.

Example Question #2 : Answering Other Questions About Nineteenth Century Architecture

The Washington Monument is a traditional memorial structure known as __________.

Possible Answers:

an obelisk

an effigy

a Doric temple

a mausoleum

Correct answer:

an obelisk

Explanation:

The Washington Monument, in the center of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is the world's largest memorial obelisk. Obelisks, four sided pillars that originated with the ancient Egyptians, have long been used in Western culture as memorial markers. The Washington Monument was conceived in the 1840s as more than just the obelisk, but ran into funding problems and was only completed in its simpler form in 1885.

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