AP art history

Basic Questions:

  • WHEN was it made? (How old is it?)

  • WHERE was it made? (In what style is it?)

  • WHAT is the material? (Of what is it made?)

  • WHAT does it show? (What is the subject matter?)

  • WHO made it? (Who is the artist?)

  • WHY was it made? (Who was the sponsor?)

Basic Terminology:

  • Form: object(s) shape and structure

  • Composition: how an artist organizes the form(s) of a work

  • Line: an element of art which refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point

  • Space: area that "holds" the object(s) in or around a work. Space may be limited or unlimited

  • Mass (in sculpture and architecture): matter that is "held" in space

  • Volume: space which mass organized

  • Perspective: organization of forms in space to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface

  • Proportion: size relationship(s) of objects within a work

  • Material: substances used in a work (tile, clay, steel, etc.)

  • Technique: how an artist manipulates material(s)

  • Color: tonality (light or dark) and intensity (bright or dull)

  • Value: the use of light and shadow in art

  • Picture Plane: the imaginary plane corresponding to the surface of a picture that is perpendicular to the viewer's line of sight