Art Appreciation Quiz - Chapter 8-10

Know who the dukes of Burgundy were

Claus Sluter carves life-size statues of biblical figures with portraitlike features for Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy.

The most powerful rulers north of the Alps during the first three-quarters of the 15th century were the dukes of Burgundy. Philip the Bold’s greatest artistic project was the Chartreuse de Champmol. The head sculptor was Claus Sluter of Haarlem, who carved portraitlike statues of biblical figures

• pg. 218-219, 249

Know who mixed tempera and fresco

Flemish artists were among the first to employ oils extensively (often mixing them with tempera), and Italian painters quickly followed suit

• pg. 220

Be able to recognize a list of Donatello’s work

Some of the earliest examples of the new Renaissance style in sculpture are by Donatello: Saint Mark, which introduced the classical concept of contrapposto into Renaissance statuary; David, the first nude male statue since antiquity; and Gattamelata, modeled on imperial Roman equestrian portraits.

pg. 249

Know how the Papacy in Rome helped Florentine artists

Painted for the Vatican, this fresco depicts the event on which the papacy bases its authority.

The papacy had, from the beginning, based its claim to infallible and total authority over the Roman Catholic Church on this biblical event.

Although Florentine artists led the way in creating the Renaissance in art and architecture, the papacy in Rome and the princely courts in Urbino and Mantua also were major art patrons.

• pg. 244-245, 249

Know the subject of Mantegna's Foreshortened Christ

In this work of overwhelming emotional power, Mantegna presented both a harrowing study of a strongly foreshortened cadaver and an intensely poignant depiction of a biblical tragedy.

• pg. 248

Know where the 16th-century Italian artistic centers were

During the High (1500–1520) and Late (1520–1600) Renaissance, the major Italian artistic centers were Florence, Rome, and Venice.

• pg. 283

Be familiar with Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a master of chiaroscuro and atmospheric perspective. He was famous for his sfumato (misty haziness) and for his psychological insight in depicting biblical narrative.

• pg. 283

Know the purpose of the central window behind Jesus in "Last Supper" by DaVinci.

The central window at the back, whose curved pediment arches above his head, frames his figure.

• pg. 254. 256

Be familiar with the Mona Lisa

Leonardo’s skill with chiaroscuro and atmospheric perspective is on display in this new kind of portrait depicting the sitter as an individual personality who engages the viewer psychologically.

Mona Lisa wears no jewelry and holds no attribute associated with wealth. She sits quietly, her hands folded, her mouth forming a gentle smile, and her gaze directed at the viewer.

The enduring appeal of Mona Lisa also derives in large part from Leonardo’s decision to set his subject against the backdrop of a mysterious uninhabited landscape.

• pg. 255

Know who thought a sculptor could “make man”

Michelangelo considered sculpture superior to painting because the sculptor shares in the divine power to “make man”

• pg. 257

Know the work Michelangelo did at Saint Peter's Rotunda

The cardinal commissioned the statue to be placed in the rotunda attached to the south transept of Old Saint Peter’s in which he was to be buried.

A Pieta

• pg. 257. 258

Know what the expectations were for Michelangelo in creating the Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo faced enormous difficulties in completing this assignment: the ceiling’s dimensions (some 5,800 square feet), its height above the pavement (almost 70 feet), and the complicated perspective problems that the vault’s height and curve presented—in addition to his inexperience in the fresco technique.

• pg. 258-260

Be familiar with the Protestant Reformation

The Habsburg Empire, enriched by New World plunder, supported the most powerful military force in Europe. Spain defended and then promoted the interests of the Catholic Church in its battle against the inroads of the Protestant Reformation.

Dissatisfaction with the Church in Rome led to the Protestant Reformation, which began in the Holy Roman Empire. Protestants objected to the sale of indulgences and rejected most of the sacraments of Catholicism. They also condemned ostentatious church decoration as a form of idolatry. Art, however, especially prints, still played a role in Protestantism. Albrecht Dürer’s engravings rival paintings in tonal quality.

• pg. 281. 283

Know who El Greco was

The leading painter of 16th-century Spain was Greek-born El Greco, whose art combined Byzantine style, Italian Mannerism, and the religious fervor of Catholic Spain.

• pg. 282, 283

Know how an irregularly shaped pearl impacted art in Europe

Art historians traditionally describe 17th-century European art as Baroque, but the term is problematic because the period encompasses a broad range of styles and genres. Although its origin is unclear, “Baroque” may have come from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning an irregularly shaped pearl.

• pg. 287

Differentiate between classical Renaissance architecture and Baroque architecture

In contrast to classical Renaissance architecture, Italian Baroque architecture is dynamic, theatrical, and highly ornate.

• pg. 311

Know what is meant by “the Spanish Netherlands”

The Baroque art of Flanders (the Spanish Netherlands) retained close connections to the Baroque art of Catholic Europe, whereas the Dutch schools of painting developed their own subjects and styles.

• pg. 298

Be familiar with the palace and garden complex in Versailles

Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” builds the palace at Versailles with vast landscaped gardens.

The major art patron in 17th-century France was Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” who built a gigantic palaceand-garden complex at Versailles featuring opulent furnishings and sweeping vistas.

• pg. 286, 308, 311

Know what the interiors of Dutch homes and women engaged in household chores had in common

In contrast, Vermeer and his contemporaries composed neat, quietly opulent interiors of Dutch homes featuring women especially but also men and occasionally children engaging in household tasks or at leisure.

• pg. 304

Be familiar with Rembrandt

Rembrandt van Rijn was the greatest Dutch artist of the age.

His oil paintings are notable for their dramatic impact and subtle gradations of light and shade as well as the artist’s ability to convey human emotions. Rembrandt was also a master printmaker renowned for his etchings, such as Christ with the Sick, known as the Hundred-Guilder Print.

pg. 301-311