AP Art History : Understanding terminology that describes fourteenth- through sixteenth-century architecture

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : 3 D Visual Art

In an arch, the central piece of masonry that allows all the pressure to be placed throughout the arch is called __________.

Possible Answers:

the transverse

the buttress

the lintel

the beam

the keystone

Correct answer:

the keystone

Explanation:

An arch is able to remain in its appropriate position because of the way that pressure is placed throughout the entire arch. Pressure can only be appropriately distributed because of the placement of the keystone. The keystone is the central stone in an arch, which is shaped in order to push the weight down through every piece of stone.

Example Question #1 : Renaissance To Contemporary Architecture

What technological discovery (or rediscovery) was necessary for the completion of the dome atop Florence's Il Duomo in 1436?

Possible Answers:

Calculus

Concrete

Flying Buttresses

Steel support

Aqueducts

Correct answer:

Concrete

Explanation:

The rediscovery of concrete was the key to completing the dome atop Il Duomo. Filippo Brunelleschi found the lost recipe for concrete, a recipe that was lost in the Middle Ages; prior to the Middle Ages, concrete was used often by the Ancient Romans.

Example Question #2 : Renaissance To Contemporary Architecture

The architecture of the Renaissance saw a resurgence of features from the architecture of which ancient civilization?

Possible Answers:

Ancient Rome

None of these

Mesopotamia

Ancient Sumeria

Ancient Egypt

Correct answer:

Ancient Rome

Explanation:

Renaissance architecture made use of attributes of Ancient Roman architecture. Namely, Renaissance architects utilized Ancient Roman column types, such as Doric, Ionic, Tuscan, Composite, and Corinthian, often used decoratively rather than structurally.

Example Question #3 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Fourteenth Through Sixteenth Century Architecture

A _____________ is a wedge-shaped block used in the construction of an arch.

Possible Answers:

lintel

archivolt

voussoir

trumeau

Correct answer:

voussoir

Explanation:

The "voussoir" is a wedge-shaped block that makes up a true arch.

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