AP Art History Ultimate Review Packet

Page 1: Overview of Art Historical Periods

• Timeline: Covers various art movements from 3500 BCE to the present.

  • Key Periods:

    • Prehistory

    • Ancient Near East

    • Egyptian

    • Greek

    • Roman

    • Byzantine

    • Medieval

    • Renaissance

    • Baroque

    • Rococo

    • Romanticism

    • Impressionism

    • Modernism

    • Post-Modernism

Page 2: Key Terms and Concepts

• Architecture & Sculpture:

  • Apadana, Ziggurat, Stele, Bas-relief, Relief Sculpture, Negative Space

  • Materials: Lapiz Lazuli, Cuneiform

  • Cultural Contexts:

    • Rituals, Symbolism, Shamanism, Animism

    • Representations in ancient art: hierarchy of scale, stylized forms, twisted perspective

• Civilizations:

  • Global Prehistory (30,000-500 BCE)

    • Animal images and female figurines related to shamanism.

  • Ancient Near East (3500-600 BCE)

    • Focus on afterlife, authority depicted in art.

  • Egyptian Art (3500-30 BCE):

    • Practices of rigid frontal depictions reflecting pharaohs' divine status.

    • Wood and stone construction methods for temples.

Page 3: Ancient Greek Art

• Key Concepts:

  • Humanism; "Man is the measure of all things."

  • Artistic highlights: Contrapposto stance, idealized human forms, geometric approaches in architecture.

• Periods:

  • Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic Greece (1000-30 BCE)

    • Use of marble, folds of drapery to express emotion.

  • Etruscan Influence: Necropolis, terra cotta sculptures.

Page 4: Ancient Roman Art

• Themes:

  • Political propaganda through art & architecture.

  • Engineering advancements: aqueducts, concrete.

• Periods:

  • Republican and Imperial Roman Art (30 BCE-400 CE)

    • Use of coffered ceilings, continuous narratives in fresco.

    • Emphasis on authority through large-scale works.

Page 5: Early Christian Art

• Context:

  • Secret symbols to navigate persecution under Rome.

• Artistic Developments (100-500 CE):

  • Church architecture: ambulatories, clerestory, use of mosaics.

• Byzantine Influence (500-1300 CE):

  • Iconography, illuminated manuscripts, complex dome structures.

Page 6: Medieval Art

• Key Periods (500-1300 CE):

  • Romanesque: Heavy churches, manuscript illumination.

  • Gothic: Light-filled cathedrals with stained glass, flying buttresses.

• Important Terminology:

  • Tympanum, rib vault, narthex, reliquary.

Page 7: Islamic Art

• Characteristics:

  • Influence of trade routes; abstract designs rather than figural art.

• Context (1630-1700):

  • Focus on calligraphy, mosaics in mosque architecture.

  • Use of materials such as ceramics and textiles.

Page 8: Renaissance Art

• Key Themes:

  • Rebirth of Classical styles influenced by Humanism.

• Regional Differences:

  • Northern vs. Italian Renaissance (1400-1600):

    • Altarpieces, oil paintings, atmospheric perspectives.

    • Mannerism contrasts with Renaissance ideals.

Page 9: Baroque Art

• Key Divides:

  • Catholic vs. Protestant approaches in art (1600-1750).

  • Dramatic, emotional religious art vs. genre scenes and still lifes in Protestant regions.

• Cultural Syncretism:

  • Spanish Colonial blends European Baroque with local traditions.

Page 10: Rococo and Neoclassical Art

• Characteristics of Rococo (1700-1750):

  • Decorative, pastel colors; frivolous themes.

  • Neoclassicism (1750-1800):

  • Return to classical ideals stressing civic virtue, Enlightenment thoughts.

Page 11: 19th-20th Century - Art Movements

• Impressionism (1870-1880s):

  • Focus on light and color, social realism.

• Realism vs. Romanticism: Art reflecting social consciousness and inner experiences.

• Post-Impressionism: Shift towards structure and emotion in art.

Page 12: Modern Art

• Concepts (1900-1960):

  • Innovative materials; questioning reality.

  • Evolving definitions of art (collage, ready-made).

Page 13: Key Modern Art Movements

• Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism:

  • Emphasis on color, abstract forms; emotional themes.

• Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism: Reactions against traditional art paradigms.

  • Historical Contexts: Harlem Renaissance and Mexican Muralism provide political commentary in art.

Page 14: Indigenous Americas Art (1000-1900)

• Civilizations:

  • Mesoamerican (Aztec, Maya), North American tribes, Andean cultures.

• Art Forms:

  • Structures related to astronomy; ceremonial masks; natural elements used in craft.

Page 15: African Art (1100-1900)

• Themes:

  • Spiritual representation, tradition, and social history in ritual art.

  • Use of various media: wood, metal, fiber, representing complex cultural identities.

Page 16: South & Southeast Asia Art

• Buddhist and Hindu Architecture:

  • Temples reflecting cosmic mountains; elaborate reliefs featuring deities.

• Importance of axis mundi and posture (mudra) in sculptural representations.

Page 17: East Asian Art

• Philosophical Influences:

  • Daoism and Confucianism impact aesthetic sensibilities.

  • Artistic media include ink painting and porous ceramics; architecture of grand scale.

Page 18: Global Contemporary Art (1980-Present)

• Innovative Techniques:

  • Use of modern materials like plastics and digital media.

  • Reflects socio-political ideologies through complex installations.