Art History Exam 1 Mrs. Andreson Blinn

Describe the use of cylinder seals

Cylinder seals were used to mark possessions, identify ownership, and functioned much like a signature.

A large ice mass began to melt around 9000 BCE which sparked a change for early humans, what best fits the link between the two periods?

During the Paleolithic period humans were living as hunter gatherers and the Neolithic periods are marked by a change towards farming and living in communities.

The Prehistoric Aegean Lion Gate is the gateway to:

Mycenae

Figures sculpted in the round can be defined as

freestanding

It has been suggested that Cycladic figurines, (Figurine of a Woman & Male Lyre Player) were funerary offerings. Based on their schematized representation and sized, how might they have been placed in the graves?

placed on their backs

The most significant transformation of the human condition was a result of

the agricultural revolution

What were the Ancient Greece periods?

1. Orientalizing and Geometric 2. Archaic 3. Early Classical 4. High Classical 5. Late Classical 6. Hellenistic

Tomb interiors often included scenes of hunting. This was associated with the idea of providing provisions for the ka, and it is also a metaphor for what?

1. triumph over death 2. triumph over evil

The Ancient Greeks loved the idea of the perfect human and transferred this idea to their sculptures, eventually progressing to the point of showing a figure standing at rest - termed Contrapposto. What statement best fits this term?

A figure standing with one leg tensed the other leg at rest, creating a natural S curve.

The funerary practice of the Mycenaean's, covering the faces of the dead with gold masks, recalls what other culture?

Egyptians

Spring Fresco is the first pure landscape. What best defines landscape?

It has no humans and no narrative element.

Within the Catal Hoyuk settlement a landscape painting was found. What statement best defines the term landscape?

It is a picture of a natural setting without any narrative content

What is a palace on Crete where artifacts such as "Snake Goddess" were found?

Knossos

The earliest known example of the use of contrapposto is the sculpture known as the

Kritios Boy

Which of the following is the best example of a Stele?

Law Code of Hammurabi

The Ancient Egyptians believed the unification of Egypt took place in a single great event. What is a record of that great event?

Palette of Narmer

Describe cuneiform and why it is significant

Pictographs are a system of writing developed by the Sumerians in the ancient Near East which led to cuneiform, and marks the beginning of writing.

The Ziggurat at Ur can best be described as a:

Sumerian temple base

The Rosetta Stone was a discovery which allowed what?

The stone's discovery was a huge factor to unlocking the mysteries of ancient Egypt.

Describe the Venus of Willendorf

a small Paleolithic figurine of a woman

A Palette could best be described as

a stone slab with a circular depression used for mixing pigment to then be applied to the face.

An Amphora could best be described as...

a vessel with two handles meant to store liquid of for transport.

In Ancient Greece temples were built in an elevated place in the city. The term for this is

an acropolis

The Treasury of Atreus (Tholos Style) is an excellent example of a

beehive tomb

A female figure used as an architectural support (column) was known as a:

caryatid

Describe one of the drawbacks of the fresco secco, (dry) technique?

colors do not fuse to the wall surface

What form of arch is ABOVE the lintel of the Lion Gate?

corbelled arch

The open-eyed stares of the votive statues "Statuettes of two worshipers" of ancient Sumer are thought to represent:

eternal wakefulness and duty

What is a composite view of human representation?

frontal torso, profile head, legs and arms

What was the subject matter seen on the largest dagger found in the tomb from Grave Circle A?

hunters attacking lions

What is the most agreed upon reason behind the cave paintings from the Paleolithic period?

insurance for their survival

What is the best explanation for the portrayal of Akhenaton's body type?

it was meant to represent the sexless sun disk god

A standing figure of a young man is known in Greek art as what?

kouros

The Sumerians may have been the first to use pictures to tell coherent stories. What argument makes this a valid assertion?

narrative presented in registers or bands

In ancient Mesopotamia, hierarchy of scale is a convention which indicates what?

order of importance

Early Archaic monumental stone statues followed Egyptian style very closely. This style can be described as

rigidly frontal left foot slightly advanced

Minoan columns, (Prehistoric Aegean) are distinguished by:

tapering shape and wide open capitals

In ancient Greece, a painting method was employed on many of the statues and temples. What best describes this method?

the method used is when pigment is mixed with wax then applied to the surface

Minoans coated the rough surface of their rubble walls with a fine white lime plaster that required rapid execution and great skill. Which painting method was used with this type of fabrication?

true fresco

The Ionic order is...

typically found on Crete and the Aegean Islands, noted for its decorative qualities.

The Doric order is...

typically found on the mainland (not Crete) and could be described as visually heavy, with wide open capitals.

Repousse is a method...

used by metal workers to produce an image form a single sheet of metal pushing the features from the back