art acdec

What is the main goal of art history as an academic discipline?

To understand art and its meaning in its historical moment, including its social, cultural, and economic context.

What types of questions do art historians ask to understand a work of art?

Questions about formal qualities, function, artist’s and patron’s intentions, audience perspectives, and historical context.

Which disciplines is art history closely related to?

Anthropology, history, and sociology

What is aesthetics?

The philosophical inquiry into the nature and expression of beauty.

What is art criticism?

The explanation of current art events to the public

What is formal analysis in art history?

A focus on the visual qualities and design elements of an artwork to interpret meaning

What is contextual analysis in art history?

Analyzing the cultural, social, religious, and economic context in which a work was created and received.

Why can the meaning of a work of art change over time?

Because viewers’ perspectives are influenced by their own time, background, identity, and beliefs

What does comparative study in art history involve?

Comparing artworks across periods to understand stylistic change and historical development.

What is participant observation in art history?

When art historians engage directly with a cultural practice to better understand it

Who was Pliny the Elder and why is he important to art history?

Roman historian who analyzed ancient and contemporary art in Natural History

Who was Giorgio Vasari?

A Renaissance author and artist who wrote The Lives of the Artists, focusing on Italian art and artistic genius.

What was Johann Joachim Winckelmann’s contribution to art history?

He emphasized stylistic development in historical context and moved away from biography-based analysis.

What has recent revision in art history focused on?

Including non-Western, feminist, Marxist, and psychoanalytic perspectives; broadening the field beyond white male artists

What does “visual culture” include in modern art history?

Everything from fine art to posters, photography, film, and television imagery.

Who were the first to create large-scale sculptures and buildings in Mesopotamia around 4000 BCE?

The Sumerians

What were ziggurats and what was their purpose?

Ziggurats were stepped pyramid structures used as temples and centers of administration and economy

Under which ruler did the Akkadians replace city-state loyalty with loyalty to the king?

Sargon of Akkad

How was Akkadian art different from Sumerian art?

Akkadian art emphasized monarchy, with rulers depicted in freestanding and relief sculptures

What happened around 2150 BCE that disrupted Akkadian rule?

The Guti invaded and took control of the region.

Which king reestablished Sumerian control after the fall of Akkad?

The Neo-Sumerian King of Ur.

What is the Code of Hammurabi and why is it significant in art?

It’s the oldest known legal code; its text is carved onto a stele with a high relief showing Hammurabi receiving the law from Shamash, the sun god

What were the key features of Assyrian art?

Relief carvings depicting battles, sieges, and hunts

What is the Ishtar Gate and why is it important?

A grand gate to the ziggurat of Bel built during the Neo-Babylonian period; it featured animal figures on a walled surface

When did Egyptian civilization begin and along which river?

Around 3150 BCE along the Nile River.

What major architectural structure is associated with the Old Kingdom?

The Great Pyramids at Giza.

What was the primary function of pyramids in ancient Egypt?

Tombs for pharaohs, designed to protect the body and belongings for the afterlife.

Who was the architect of the first step pyramid, and which pharaoh did he build it for?

Imhotep, for King Djoser

What material did Imhotep use that was revolutionary at the time?

Stone

What does the stiff, frontal pose in Egyptian sculpture reflect?

A formulaic style meant to convey strength, permanence, and timelessness

How does Middle Kingdom art differ from Old Kingdom art?

It features more naturalistic and emotional expressions, especially in sculpture

What change did Pharaoh Akhenaton bring to Egyptian art?

He introduced a more relaxed, curving, and stylized form during the Amarna Period.

Who was Akhenaton’s famous wife and what is the iconic artwork of her?

Nefertiti; her bust is one of the most recognized images from ancient Egypt.

Who was Tutankhamun and why is his tomb significant?

A boy pharaoh; his tomb, discovered intact in 1922, provided immense insight into Egyptian art and burial practices.

What marked the art of the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE)?

Monumental architecture like the temples of Karnak and Luxor, and elaborate tomb paintings in the Valley of the Kings

What architectural form did the Romans pioneer that influenced medieval architecture?

The curved arch

What is a barrel vault?

A vault formed by a series of arches placed side by side to form a tunnel-like structure.

What is a groin vault?

A vault formed when two barrel vaults intersect at right angles.

Why was much of medieval art preserved by the Church?

Due to civil strife and widespread illiteracy, monasteries preserved art through illuminated manuscripts.

What was vellum or parchment, and why was it important?

Animal skin used as writing material; monks used it to copy and illuminate valuable books

Name two famous illuminated manuscripts from the medieval period.

The Book of Kells (late 8th–early 9th century) and the Coronation Gospels (c. 800–810).

What artistic style is associated with the nomadic Germanic peoples?

Abstract, geometric metalwork made from bronze, silver, or gold.

What medium was most important to Viking art, and why?

Wood—used to carve designs and sculptures on ships

What is the term for the blended style of Anglo-Saxon, Viking, and Celtic art?

Hiberno-Saxon.

What architectural style used barrel vaults and massive stone walls?

Romanesque

Why did Romanesque churches have small windows?

To maintain structural stability due to heavy stone arches

What is a Romanesque church example and when was it built?

Saint-Sernin in Toulouse, France (c. 1070–1120).

What feature distinguishes Gothic architecture from Romanesque?

Pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses.

What is a ribbed vault?

A vault with thin stone ribs supporting the intersection of ceiling sections.

What are flying buttresses and why were they important?

External supports that counteracted barrel vault pressure, allowing taller structures and large stained-glass windows.

Example of a Gothic cathedral?

Chartres Cathedral, France (begun c. 1145; rebuilt after 1194)

What was the international language of the medieval period?

latin

Who is considered the father of Renaissance painting?

Giotto di Bondone

What made Giotto’s work revolutionary

He created figures with emotional expressions and gestures in realistic settings, breaking from the flat, symbolic style of medieval art.

What is the name of Giotto’s most famous cycle of frescoes?

The Arena Chapel (Scrovegni Chapel) in Padua

What artistic innovation is Giotto credited with?

Using simple perspective to create illusion of depth — grouping figures in the foreground with background scenes.

What major cultural movement began in 14th-century Italy?

The Renaissance — a “rebirth” of classical ideals from ancient Greece and Rome.

What are key characteristics of Renaissance art?

Realism, perspective, humanism, anatomy, and classical influence.

How did Renaissance artists differ from medieval ones?

They focused on the human body, naturalism, and individual expression rather than symbolic religious figures.

What role did patrons play during the Renaissance?

Wealthy families and the Church funded artists, shaping the development of art.

Who designed the dome of Florence Cathedral (Il Duomo)?

Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446)

What was Brunelleschi’s major architectural innovation?

Inventing linear (single vanishing point) perspective

Who formulated rules of perspective and wrote influential art theory?

Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472).

Who was the founder of modern sculpture and created a bronze David?

Donatello (c. 1389–1466).

Why is Donatello’s David significant

It was the first freestanding nude male sculpture since antiquity, reflecting classical influence and realism.

Who painted The Birth of Venus and why is it notable?

Sandro Botticelli — it revived mythological subjects and emphasized grace and ideal beauty

Why was classical antiquity less influential in Northern Europe than in Italy?

Northern Europe lacked Italy’s cultural connection to ancient Rome and had less access to Roman ruins and artifacts

What helped spread Italian Renaissance ideas to Northern Europe?

Artists traveling to Italy, Italian artists visiting the north, engravings of Italian works, and trade with Venice.

Who were two major Northern Renaissance artists in Germany?

Matthias Grünewald and Albrecht Dürer.

What is Matthias Grünewald’s most famous work?

The Isenheim Altarpiece (c. 1510–15), known for religious scenes and Christ’s crucifixion.

How did Albrecht Dürer incorporate Italian influence into his art?

By combining Northern naturalistic detail with Italian theoretical ideas, especially after traveling to Italy.

What is Dürer’s famous woodcut series?

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (c. 1498).

Who was Hans Holbein the Younger, and what was he known for?

A German portraitist best known for his work in England as court painter to King Henry VIII; known for psychological realism.

What are characteristics of Baroque art compared to Renaissance art?

Greater movement, energy, emotion, and dramatic lighting (chiaroscuro).

What historical context shaped Baroque art?

Counter-Reformation, powerful monarchies, and empire-wide conflicts.

What is chiaroscuro, and which artist is most associated with it?

Dramatic contrasts between light and dark; Caravaggio.

What made Caravaggio’s style controversial?

His naturalism, using poor, lower-class models in religious scenes.

Who was Artemisia Gentileschi, and what was she known for?

A Baroque painter who adopted Caravaggio’s style; known for paintings of Old Testament women.

What is Bernini’s most famous sculpture, and what makes it unique?

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1647–52); theatrical lighting and marble sculpted to resemble fabric and clouds.

What Dutch artist is considered a master of Baroque painting and draftsmanship?

Rembrandt van Rijn.

What is Rembrandt’s most famous group portrait?

The Night Watch (1642), notable for dynamic composition and psychological depth.

What was the cultural significance of Versailles under Louis XIV?

A symbol of absolute power and wealth; a model for European monarchies.

What art institution did Louis XIV create to shape artistic standards?

The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture.

Who was Diego Velázquez and what technique did he pioneer?

Spanish court painter to Philip IV; built figures with patches of color rather than outlines.

What themes define Rococo art?

Gaiety, romance, leisure, and the frivolity of aristocratic life.

Which royal court is most associated with Rococo style?

The court of Versailles under Louis XV.

What genre did Watteau innovate, and what does it depict?

Fête galante — aristocrats in outdoor settings enjoying leisure and flirtation.

Who was François Boucher’s most famous patron?

Madame Pompadour, mistress to Louis XV.

How did Boucher’s works reflect Rococo ideals?

He portrayed classical myths as romantic scenes with elegant figures and pastel tones.

How is Jean-Honoré Fragonard connected to Boucher?

He studied under Boucher and adopted his Rococo style in romantic and decorative scenes

What historical event inspired Neoclassicism?

The French Revolution of 1789.

What ancient cultures influenced Neoclassical art?

Classical Greece and Rome.

What philosophy influenced the rise of Neoclassicism?

Enlightenment ideals and democratic values.

How does Neoclassicism contrast with Rococo?

Neoclassicism focused on rationality, order, and republican virtues, rejecting Rococo’s aristocratic frivolit

Who is the leading figure of Neoclassical painting

Jacques-Louis David

What is David’s famous revolutionary painting, and what does it show?

Oath of the Horatii (1784) — shows republican virtues like duty and sacrifice.

How did David’s political role evolve after the Revolution?

He became Napoleon’s official painter, producing large propaganda pieces.

What are key traits of Jean Dominique Ingres’ Neoclassical style?

Sharp outlines, unemotional figures, careful geometry, and rational composition.

Which artist is often seen as the originator of Impressionism?

Édouard Manet

What made Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur L’herbe (1863) controversial?

A nude woman dines with two clothed men; the female figure was modeled after a real person, not idealized.