AP Art History : Understanding terminology that describes seventeenth- and eighteenth-century sculpture

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Seventeenth And Eighteenth Century Sculpture

Equestrian statues were favored by absolute monarchs in the seventeenth century because __________.

Possible Answers:

they depicted the subject as an everyday person

they showed that the subject was an expert rider of horses

they showed the subject interacting with a lowly animal

they conveyed a sense of grandeur and power about the monarch being depicted

Correct answer:

they conveyed a sense of grandeur and power about the monarch being depicted

Explanation:

Equestrian statues, even when life-size, created a portrait of their subjects on massive scales. While commonplace in Rome, they were hardly made after the fall of Rome until the Renaissance, and in the age of absolutism in the seventeenth century, they were made all across Europe to commemorate and celebrate monarchs. These statues made the monarchs depicted in them appear intimidating, grandiose, and worthy of their position as absolute monarchs.

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