ART 2150: History of Art Since 1400 CE - Midterm Exam Study Guide

Vocabulary practice flashcards for identifying artworks, artists or cultures, dates, and mediums for the ART 2150 Midterm Exam.

Iconography

Common symbols or visual attributes associated with works of art.

Ancestral Figures

Artist/Culture: Mississippian artist; Date: ca. 1400; Medium: Siltstone and pigments.

• Tongues slightly emerged, representing death

• Wrinkles make the art more realistic/relatable/human

• Figures represent past relatives

Engraved shell with Bird-Human imagery

Artist/Culture: Mississippian artist; Date: ca. 1400; Medium: Whelk shell and pigment.

• Shell is expensive and prestigious because it is not from the area and has to be transported along trade routes

• Carried tea which, when drunk, it was believed you gained access + connection to the spiritual realm; the tea could also make you throw up, which was thought to be a cleansing experience

• Believed to be linked to a culture hero named Morning Star

Gorget shell (with Morning Star?)

Artist/Culture: Mississippian artist; Date: ca. 1350; Medium: Incised whelk shell.

Coatlicue

Artist/Culture: Once-known Mexica artist; Date: ca. 1500; Medium: Basalt stone.

• Dots on her neck symbolize death (decapitated head)

• has symmetry

• Necklace of human skull, hearts, and hands

Headdress of Moctezuma

Artist/Culture: Once-known Mexica artists; Date: ca. 1500; Medium: Feathers, wood, fibers, metals.

Maize cobs

Artist/Culture: Inka artists; Date: ca. 1500; Medium: Silver and silver alloy.

• Corn is very important to the Americas

Female Figurine

Artist/Culture: Inka artists; Date: ca. 1500; Medium: Silver and silver alloy, textiles, feathers.

• Human sacrifice of a specifically chosen child

• The figurine is buried with the body

• The clothes (textiles) indicate the child was pampered

• The figurine being made out of silver is significant because silver is harvested from the Earth, and when the figurine is buried, it is returned to the Earth

Figure of the God Ku, the Island Snatcher

Artist/Culture: Kanaka Maoli sculptor; Date: ca. 1780; Medium: Breadfruit wood, kapa barkcloth.

• Hair made of pigs; symbolizes power and prestige, as pigs were highly valued (source of wealth and offerings)

• The statues’ flared nostrils, wide mouth, and bulging eyes indicate authority and power

Mask (Krar)

Artist/Culture: Torres Strait Islander artist; Date: Ca. 1800; Medium: Turtle shell, wood, cassowary feathers, fiber, resin, shell, paint.

• Combination of three different animals shows a powerful connection between the land, sea, and sky

Catching a Catfish With a Gourd

Artist/Culture: Josetsu (Japanese); Date: ca. 1400; Medium: Ink and color on paper.

• Zen Buddhist riddle inspires reflection (self-check)

Pine Trees

Artist/Culture: Hasegawa Tōhaku (Japan); Date: Late 1500s; Medium: Ink on silk and folding screen.

• Ink paintings are tied to calligraphy, which was important in the time period to be able to show that you can do it

• empty space causes depth

Queen Trịnh Thị Ngọc Trúc

Artist/Culture: Vietnamese sculptor; Date: 1600s; Medium: Wood, pigment, and lacquer.

• Bodhisattva

• Figure appears to be androgynous (no gender when you reach enlightenment)

• Longer ears

• Elaborate jewelry and clothing indicate an earthly connection

Morbid Meditations

Artist/Culture: Thai monk; Date: ca. 1700; Medium: Ink and color on paper.

• Testing for neutral reactions (not reacting to a deceased person)

• Detachment from desire

• overcoming death anxiety

The Court of Gayumars, from the Shahnama (Book of Kings)

Artist/Culture: Safavid painters; Date: Before 1560s; Medium: Watercolor, ink, gold, silver on paper.

• Showcasing a king

• shows harmony

In the Kahvehane (Coffeehouse)

Artist/Culture: Ottoman artists; Date: ca. 1600; Medium: Pigment, gold, and ink on paper.

• Depicting a new social space (the coffeehouse)

• Showcasing a society outside of religion, power, politics, etc.

Krishna Holds Up Mount Govardhan to Shelter Villagers of Braj

Artist/Culture: Mughal court artist; Date: Ca. 1600; Medium: Ink, watercolor, and gold on paper.

Self-Portrait at the Easel

Artist/Culture: Sofonisba Anguissola (Italian); Date: 1550s; Medium: Oil on canvas.

• Ruffles on her clothing show her skill

• Advertisement of her skill; e.g., painting a picture of her painting

• Humanism

• Using the painting as proof that she (a woman) can create art

Adoration of the Magi

Artist/Culture: Vasco Fernandes (Portuguese); Date: Ca. 1500; Medium: Oil on panel.

• Showing the birth of Jesus Christ

• The background suggests distance, as the Wise Men come from far places

• Demonstrates a relationship between Europe and the Americas (one of the Wise Men being indigenous)

• Shows a connection between politics and religion

Hell

Artist/Culture: Cristovão de Figueiredo (Portuguese); Date: Ca. 1500; Medium: Oil on oak.

• Artists could be experimental with hell because they didn’t know what it looked like