AP Art History : Nineteenth-Century Sculpture

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #126 : 3 D Art

Dega bronze sculptures 01102010 natartgallery sofia 09

The exhibition which first featured this sculpture was considered scandalous because __________________.

Possible Answers:

the inclusion of African masks

nudes were presented in erotic poses

more famous sculptors were excluded from the exhibition

the subjects were depicted in quotidian poses, and some of the sculptures used non-traditional mediums 

Correct answer:

the subjects were depicted in quotidian poses, and some of the sculptures used non-traditional mediums 

Explanation:

In 1881 the use of quotidian poses was regarded as appropriate for an artist to do as a study in his studio, but not to present to the public. The use of mixed media in his sculpture The Little Fourteen Year Old dance was also a novelty.

Work is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sculptures_by_Edgar_Degas#/media/File:Dega_Bronze_Sculptures_01102010_NatArtGallery_Sofia_09.jpg

Example Question #127 : 3 D Art

Rodin balzac nasher dallas 1

The original version of this sculpture was rejected because ____________________.

Possible Answers:

the project was over budget

the subject, Balzac, died before the sculpture could be completed

the group that commissioned the sculpture thought it was grotesque

it took Rodin too long to complete the sculpture

Correct answer:

the group that commissioned the sculpture thought it was grotesque

Explanation:

The Societe des Gens de Lettres, who commissioned Rodin to sculpt Balzac rejected Rodin's sculpture because they considered Rodin's depiction insulting for being out of proportion and in the nude.

Work is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rodin_Balzac_Nasher_Dallas_1.jpg

Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Nineteenth Century Sculpture

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris monumentalizes French soldiers by referencing __________.

Possible Answers:

Greek temples

Egyptian statuary

Roman triumphal monuments

Medieval cathedrals

Correct answer:

Roman triumphal monuments

Explanation:

L'Arc de Triomphe, in English the Triumph Arch, was begun in 1806 during Napoleon Bonaparte's rule to recognize the sacrifice of French soldiers during the Revolutionary Wars. Through a series of governmental changes, the project went on under the supervision of many architects, all of whom kept the general theme of a Roman triumphal arch for the project. Completed in the 1830s, the Arc remains one of the key symbols of Paris, commemorating French heroism in different ways.

Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Nineteenth Century Sculpture

Dega bronze sculptures 01102010 natartgallery sofia 09

What is the medium of this sculpture?

Possible Answers:

Bronze

Marble

Ceramic

Ivory

Correct answer:

Bronze

Explanation:

This sculpture is cast in Bronze, a brownish metal with some luster.

This work is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sculptures_by_Edgar_Degas#/media/File:Dega_Bronze_Sculptures_01102010_NatArtGallery_Sofia_09.jpg

Example Question #3 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Nineteenth Century Sculpture

Rodin balzac nasher dallas 1

What technique was used to reproduce this sculpture?

Possible Answers:

Spin casting

Lost wax

Bas-relief

Incarnation

Correct answer:

Lost wax

Explanation:

Rodin frequently used the lost wax technique to produce many of his bronze sculptures. The technique involved making a negative of an existing sculpture, that is then filled with wax that is replaced with bronze as the metal is poured into the cast.

Work is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rodin_Balzac_Nasher_Dallas_1.jpg

Example Question #1 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Nineteenth Century Sculpture

The monumental postimpressionist sculpture The Thinker was created by __________.

Possible Answers:

Auguste Rodin

Jean-Antoine Injalbert

Pablo Picasso

Jean-Antoine Houdon

Correct answer:

Auguste Rodin

Explanation:

The Thinker, portraying a nude man hunched over with his head on his fist deep in thought, is one of the most widely recognized pieces of art in the world. Created by Auguste Rodin in 1880, it was first widely cast in bronze in 1904, and was immediately desired thanks to its rough hewn texture, vivid portrayal of a man, and the emotion it displays. Thanks to being a bronze cast, there are about twenty-eight versions of the sculpture in existence around the world.

Example Question #2 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Nineteenth Century Sculpture

Auguste Rodin primarily sculpted in __________.

Possible Answers:

silver

marble

ceramic

bronze

Correct answer:

bronze

Explanation:

Auguste Rodin largely reinvented modern sculpture in the late nineteenth century, largely through his ability to capture human forms honestly and present motion in a still sculpture. The success of Rodin was attributable to his use of bronze casting for his sculptures. This both allowed him to mold in clay his radical forms before setting a mold and then allowed that mold to be recast multiple times to produce many copies of his most famous works.

Example Question #3 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Nineteenth Century Sculpture

The sculptor Auguste Rodin's style was marked by all of the following EXCEPT __________.

Possible Answers:

a realistic depiction of the human body

making sculptures out of clay that could work as models for bronze casting

a dark psychological perspective

the use of classical and mythological themes

the capture of movement in a sculpture

Correct answer:

the use of classical and mythological themes

Explanation:

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was a revolutionary sculptor who helped develop modern art, but he actually saw himself as a traditional craftsman. Rodin would use clay to create bronze molds, and used models. In contrast to his predecessors, Rodin asked models to move so he could capture natural movement and a dark psychological perspective. Rodin also refused to use traditional classical and mythological themes in his work.

Example Question #4 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Nineteenth Century Sculpture

Dega bronze sculptures 01102010 natartgallery sofia 09

The artist of this work is __________________.

Possible Answers:

Preault

Balzac

Degas

Rodin

Correct answer:

Degas

Explanation:

Degas frequently used dancers as his subject, often in every day poses, such as this dancer examining her foot.

Work is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sculptures_by_Edgar_Degas#/media/File:Dega_Bronze_Sculptures_01102010_NatArtGallery_Sofia_09.jpg

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors