AP Art History : Understanding terminology that describes Asian 2D art
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Asian 2 D Art
"Ukiyo-e" is a Japanese term for a piece of art produced through the use of __________.
screen printing
embroidery
woodblock prints
calligraphy pens
woodblock prints
Ukiyo-e was the dominant form of Japanese art in the Edo period (1603-1867), and was aimed largely at the newly dominant upper middle classes by featuring images of geishas, sumo wrestlers, and kabuki actors. Ukiyo-e works were made from woodblock prints that allowed the artist to imprint a similar image on many different pieces of paper after creating just one block. Its handmade nature, however, allowed the pieces to be hand colored and shifted each time a new one was made.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Asian 2 D Art
Chinese paintings made before 1900 were usually displayed on __________
wooden panels
wood-framed canvas
hanging scrolls
bare walls
hanging scrolls
Chinese paintings, whether fashionable court paintings or more individualistic works from the literati, were traditionally presented on hanging silk scrolls. These scrolls were both easily portable and impressive in their scope, as they could be quite large. The manufacture of the scrolls themselves was considered an art form.
Example Question #21 : 2 D Art Beyond European Artistic Traditions
The above image is a woodblock print, meaning it __________.
can only be shown in a large format
can be easily replicated in the same form
can be enlarged and miniaturized easily
cannot be moved from the place it was first drawn
can have its colors easily changed
can be easily replicated in the same form
The woodblock format, popular throughout Asia, is an artistic format that is produced by having a large piece of wood cut into and dyed by the artist. Thereafter, this woodblock can be printed onto canvas or paper, making it extremely easy to duplicate the work of art again and again.
Example Question #2 : Asian 2 D Art
__________ is a quintessential characteristic of the Japanese Ukiyo-e style.
Ink on parchment
Woodblock prints
Handscrolls
Highly textured and detailed floral motifs
Accompanying literary text
Woodblock prints
Woodblock was characteristic of the Ukiyo-e style, particularly the lack of depth and shadow. Literary text was not characteristic of this period, as it was common in the Heian period (i.e. Tale of Genji).
Ink on parchment could be considered an answer, since many artists did render drafts and sketches on paper with ink; however, the period is known for the woodblock.
Example Question #21 : 2 D Art Beyond European Artistic Traditions
The work shown here is executed in the medium of _______________.
a woodblock print
watercolor painting
etching
stone carving
a woodblock print
Under the Wave off Kanagawa is perhaps the most well-known Japanese woodblock print, from one of the form’s masters, Katsushika Hokusai. Japanese woodblock printing was produced by carefully carving an image onto a fine grained piece of wood, then applying ink to the block of wood and stamping the block onto a piece of paper. This allowed for works of art to be copied onto multiple pieces of paper and distributed quite widely.
Image accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Katsushika_Hokusai,_published_by_Nishimuraya_Yohachi_(Eijudō)_-_Under_the_Wave_off_Kanagawa_(Kanagawa-oki_nami-ura),_also_known_as_the_Great_Wave,_from_the_series_T..._-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
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