Section one- Art history

Why is the inferred purpose of the twisted perspective used to depict animals in the Lascaux caves?

It allows a complete depiction of the concept of the animal.

This kind of figure is called a lamassu. Which statement best describes this sculpture?

It has the head of a man and the body of a winged bull

How has this artist rendered the beards and hair of the figures in this sculpture?

They are all rendered in tight, abstract patterns of curls.

What architectural feature can be seen in both of these structures?

A curved, or arched, passageway

Which of the following is not thought to be the function of the megalithic monument at Stonehenge?

A historical memorial

What is the most likely function of the Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe?

A religious center

What Middle Kingdom form took on the function of the Old Kingdom mastabas?

The rock-cut tomb

Which of the following is not an example of the interdisciplinary nature of 21st-century art historical inquiry?

A costume designer replicates the garments seen in a painting for a play.

Which settlement is associated with the beginning of large-scale, or monumental, sculpture?

Ain Ghazal

What was the lifeline of ancient Egypt?

Nile River

What appears to be a difference between these structures?

One appears larger and shows more structural elements employed.

Which of the following items was made by an additive technique?

A welded bronze warrior

Where do scientists believe humankind originated?

Africa

Which pharaoh abandoned the worship of the multitude of Egyptian gods in favor of Aton?

Akhenaton

What recognizable forms are seen on the face of this pillar?

Animals

At Persepolis, the style of the processional reliefs depicting representatives of many nations is highly reminiscent of which contemporaneous culture?

Archaic Greece

How was the sole god of Akhenaton represented in Egyptian art?

As a sun disk

What do art historians call the courses of dressed stones used in the construction of the Great Pyramids?

Ashlar masonry

Who of the following was not a Fourth Dynasty pharaoh?

Djoser

What is the most famous Sumerian work of literature?

Epic of Gilgamesh

What was the primary purpose of most Egyptian funerary art?

Equating the deceased's existence in the afterlife to life on earth

What do art historians suspect is the purpose of the Venus of Willendorf?

Fertility figure

The Eshnunna votive statuettes and the statue of Napir-Asu share what formal characteristics?

Frontality and cylindrical volume

Who is the first known named artist, and who was his patron?

Imhotep and Djoser

Which component is lacking from large Neolithic fortifications and megalithic structures?

Mortar

Where is the Apollo 11 Cave located?

Namibia

Which statement best describes this pair of works?

One appears to depict a narrative or story, and the other does not.

Which of the following statements describes the structures in these images?

One is located in an outdoor setting, and the other is exhibited inside another structure.

Which statement best describes the human figures in these paintings?

One shows multiple active human figures, and the other shows only one static figure.

What is the title and subject of the artwork shown here?

Palette of Narmer, showing the events of the unification of Egypt

An art historian writing a comparative analysis would most likely focus on the differences in which aspect of the two artists' paintings?

Perspective

Which of the following is an important convention for the organization of forms in a pictorial space?

Perspective

Which of these choices best describes the figures depicted here?

Some of the figures combine human and animal features.

In what country is the Altamira Cave located?

Spain

Is this lamassu depicted as standing still or in a walking motion?

Standing still, as seen from the front; walking, as seen from the side

What similarity is shared by all four of the scenes depicted here?

The light-colored figures stand out against uniformly dark backgrounds.

In what way are these sculptures similar?

The male figure on the left is slightly taller than the female figure.

Which group is credited with developing the first known writing system?

Sumerians

What does the inscription on the statue of Queen Napir-Asu tell us?

That her statue was intended as a permanent votive offering

In certain eras, such as pharaonic Egypt or imperial Rome, which class of individual had the most influence on the final appearance of a work of art?

The patron

Which statement best describes the depiction of the bodies in this sculpture?

The artist has mixed frontal and profile depictions of the bodies

What do art historians now believe was the model for the shape of the pyramids at Gizeh?

The ben-ben

Which bodily features are emphasized in this sculpture?

The breasts and the hips

Which two objects share decorative technique and materials?

The bull-headed harp and the Standard of Ur

What architectural form makes this temple at Hagar Qim especially noteworthy?

The combination of straight and curved forms

What element of this sculpture communicates the figure's royalty?

The tall royal headdress and ceremonial beard

What structure formed the nucleus of a Sumerian city?

The temple

What common feature can be seen in the structures in these photographs?

The use of stacked stones

Which of these choices best describes the animal figures in this cave painting?

They are seen from the side.

Which statement describes the three carved forms on this pillar?

They are stacked vertically and conform to the shape of the pillar.

What is a major similarity shared by these two paintings?

They both include humans and animals

Why was foreign trade such an important activity for the Sumerians?

They had few natural resources

What is the symbolism of the crowns worn by the king on the Narmer palette?

They refer to the unification of the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt.

How and why does the style of the Amarna period depart from the traditional Egyptian canon?

the curving forms contradicted the rigid lines of the traditional Egyptian canon just as Akhenaton's new religion contradicted the old.

This work is in the tomb of an Egyptian official named Ti. How is Ti's importance established in this image?

His scale is larger compared to the other figures.

Which falcon-headed god was the son of Osiris and hunted down his father's murderer, Seth?

Horus

What transitional period occurred just before Europe became climatically, geographically, and biologically much as it is today?

Mesolithic era

In what region did the change from hunter-gatherer to farmer-herder first occur?

Mesopotamia

Check My Work What is the seeming contradiction in the paintings of the Chauvet cave?

Although these are archaeologically the oldest Paleolithic paintings, they exhibit advanced painting features and narrative content.

What pictorial narrative convention is not present on the Warka Vase?

Descriptive inscriptions

Which phrase is often used to describe Mesopotamia?

Fertile Crescent

What was the purpose of the Assyrian lamassu?

Protection

Which empire made Egypt one of its province after 30 BCE?

Rome

What is the name of the chancellor/architect-engineer who served during the reign of Hatshepsut?

Senenmut

What is the most likely purpose of the "negative" handprints appearing in some Paleolithic caves?

Signatures

Which of the following is not an important milestone represented by the bronze head of an Akkadian ruler?

The figure is an accurately rendered portrait of a known historical figure.

Which is an example of the internal evidence an art historian might use to date a work of art?

The hairstyle of the sculpture belongs to a specific period in Roman history.

What is the most likely explanation for the lack of consistent ground line, the different drawing techniques, and the overlapping figures in the cave paintings of the Paleolithic in Europe?

The paintings were done over many years by many different artists.

What is the purpose of the Stele of the Vultures, seen here?

Commemoration of a victory

Which statement best describes the form of this female figure?

It is static and contained

What does the provenance of an artwork tell the art historian?

Its place of origin

What neighboring kingdom, mentioned in Early Kingdom texts, later conquered Egypt?

Kush

The reliefs from the palace at Ninevah show Ashurbanipal hunting which creature?

Lion

What is the most salient feature of the climatic environment of northern Europe around 9000 BCE?

Melting ice

Which of the following statements describes these carved sculptures?

One carving is flatter and more two-dimensional than the other

Which statement best describes these structures?

One consists of a single built structure, and the other consists of multiple connected structures.

Which of the following sets of terms represent graphical representations of an architectural structure?

Plan, elevation, section

What architectural technique is used at the far-flung Neolithic sites of Hagar Qim and Stonehenge?

Post and lintel

Which statement best describes how these animals are painted?

Some are painted in outlines, and others are filled in with color.

What accounts for the similarity of the statue of Mentuemhet to the figure of Menkaure in the statue of Menkaure and Khamerernebty?

The Egyptian canon

What site did Leonard Woolley excavate in the 1920s in southern Mesopotamia?

The Royal Cemetery at Ur

How has the artist depicted the figures in this work?

The artist has mixed frontal and profile depictions of the bodies

Which statement best describes the figures in this painted scroll?

There is a combination of humans, animals, and animal/human hybrids.

hat formal qualities do these two architectural structures share?

They are both symmetrical in design.

How do the materials of the paintings from Çatal Höyük differ from Paleolithic paintings?

They are made using brushes on a prepared surface.

Why did the Sumerians refer to their temples as "waiting rooms"?

This was where priests stood to await the appearances of the divinity

Anatolia, a region that stands between two continents, is a part of which modern country?

Turkey

What is the art historical lesson told by these two portraits of the same individual?

Understanding the cultural context of artworks is vital to art history

What earlier architectural form does the stepped pyramid resemble in form but not purpose?

Ziggurat

Judging from the surrounding scene, what is the setting for this depiction of Ti?

a river and a dense forest

Which people ruled an empire extending from the Persian Gulf to Asia Minor in the first half of the first millennium BCE?

Assyrians

What do art historians call an element such as the winged man, eagle, lion, and ox accompanying the pictures of the four Gospel authors?

Attribute

What is a major similarity between these two sculptures?

Both works contain depictions of lions.

What was the primary objective of mummification?

Immortality

The human with feline head discovered in Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany, is carved from what material?

Mammoth ivory

What is the name of the sculptural element in the form of a bull shown here?

Protome

How has the sculptor depicted this Egyptian pharaoh?

The pharaoh is depicted with an emphasis on the curves and swells in the belly, hips, and lips.

What great human advance accounts for the Neolithic origins of metalwork, weaving, pottery, and simple clay records?

The settlement into organized societies around agriculture

Although cylinder seals originally had an administrative use—for specific individuals to verify and secure inventory—what is their value to contemporary art historians?

They provide details of everyday life

What was the purpose of Egyptian royal portraiture?

To highlight the divinity of the pharaoh