Seeing and Knowing the Visual Arts
The author describes Chuck Close's painting Stanley as
"layered" pointillism
Lorna Simpson's series, The Park, includes both images and printed words. The text contributes to the prints in a way that makes the viewer more active in the work. What does the viewer become?
A voyeur
What might have affected Pablo Picasso's severe style of representation seen in The Women of Avignon?
African masks he saw at a Paris museum
Where did Picasso draw inspiration for the faces of the female figures on the right side of the composition of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon?
African ritual masks
Artists sometimes choose to paint objects using colors that are not "true" to their optical or local colors. This is an example of the expressive use of:
Arbitrary Colors
Where is the vanishing point in The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci?
At Jesus' head
Which is the most obvious difference between Bernini and Michelangelo's David?
Bernini's David is caught in the midst of action
A friend of Claude Monet described his great paintings of Water Lilies, Morning: Willows in the Musée de l'Orangerie as demonstrating
Brownian motion
The imagery in Faith Ringgold's God Bless America was inspired by the:
Civil Rights movement in the 1960s
Why are images of humans traditionally banned in Islamic art?
Depicting a human is thought to be competing with the "creator."
According to Sayre, our notion of space has changed abruptly and even become "fluid" since the beginning of the twentieth century due to:
Einstein's theories
Bierstadt's picturesque view of the Rocky Mountains combines a representation of an American vista with his:
European experience
In Harmony in Red (The Red Room), Henri Matisse deliberately intended to violate the laws of perspective. Why?
His interests were in things other than pure verisimilitude.
Lines that create a sense of movement and direction are called
Implied lines
The Triumphal Entry page from the Shahnamah manuscript, a sacred text, exemplifies the preference of word over image in
Islamic art
In the 1660s, who discovered that color is a direct function of light by passing sunlight through a prism and observing the bands of spectrum of colors?
Issac Newton
Some works of art are created precisely to give us the illusion or sensation of movement. This style of art is called
Op Art
In The Treason of Images, the artist combines awareness, creativity, and communication by encouraging the viewer to look closely at an object. The artist is:
René Magritte.
Hung Liu studied and taught to paint with a strict classical line that is associated with the style of
Russian Social Realism
As in Suney, Olafur Eliasson is known for mainly using what "materials" in his work?
light
What is the primary subject matter of sculptor Dan Flavin?
light and color
Which of these visual elements is most obvious in Andy Goldsworthy's Hazel Leaves?
line
Titian's Assumption and Consecration of the Virgin demonstrates the power of:
lines of sight
A picture drawn in perspective that employs a single point of vision is called
monocular vision
The symbolic hand gestures that refer to specific states of mind or events in the life of Buddha are called
murda
Because Gianlorenzo Bernini's David tells a story—of David slaying Goliath—it is said to have a _______ sequence.
narrative
What is generally the preferred medium of Andy Goldsworthy?
natural materials found on-site
When works of art like Kasimir Malevich's Suprematist painting, Black Rectangle, Blue Triangle, show no reference to the concrete world, it is usually called
nonobjective
When a work of art such as Kasimir Malevich's Suprematist Painting, Black Rectangle, Blue Triangle (p. 29) shows no reference to the natural world of images, it is usually called:
nonrepresentational
As is common in Japanese art, the Kumano mandala creates the illusion of space by utilizing:
oblique projection
Paul Strand's Abstraction, Porch Shadows reflects a 20th century effort to challenge the viewer' perspective with
odd or distorted perspective
Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is based on what specific type of perspective?
one point linear perspective
In Steve DiBenedetto's Deliverance, the artist uses what to create a sense of space?
overlapping images
The range of colors that an artist has preferred to use in a work is referred to as the
palette
Which of these elements does not help to create space in art?
palette
On axonometric projection, all lines indicating height, width, and depth remain
parallel
The Kente cloths of the Asante and Ewe societies of Ghana provide a perfect example of which art element?
pattern
The artist that painted Le Chahut (The Can-Can) was interested in harmonizing complementary colors. The resulting process came to be known as
pointillism
According to Sayre what are the three steps in the process of "seeing"?
reception, extraction, inference
We can clearly see the artistic impulse to "give form to the immaterial," to represent hidden or universal truths, spiritual forces, and personal feelings in:
religious art
Rene Magritte's The Treason of Images asks us to consider__________.
that images and words refer to things that we see, but are not the things themselves
The representation of what subject has consistently aroused controversy throughout the history of the Western world?
the Christian god
Which of these statements best defines visual literacy?
the ability to recognize, understand, and communicate the meaning of visual images
In the 15th century in Italy there was a profound redefinition of space with the codification and usage of linear perspective. Some see the same thing happening today with
the increased usage and manipulation of cyberspace and virtual realities.
Hans Namuth's photos teach us that Jackson Pollock longed to be involved in
the process of painting
Beatriz Milhazes' Carambola is based on ___________.
the shapes, forms, and bright colors or Brazilian cultures
In what way can a large-scale work be considered a "temporal" art form?
the spectator moves through time and space to view it
What cultural conventions did Robert Mapplethorpe challenge in his photographic portrait of female bodybuilder, Lisa Lyon?
the traditional representation of the nude
Although created for different purposes, Barbara Hepworth's Two Figures and the African feast-making spoon share a similar trait. What is it?
they are both positive forms that contain negative space
Gustave Caillebotte's Place de l'Europe on a Rainy Day is based on what specific type of perspective?
two-point linear perspective
Pat Steir's series The Drawing Lesson Part 1, Line # 1 is about various artists'
unique expressive lines
What is yellow's complementary color?
violet
Hatching and cross-hatching are ways of turning line into what?
volume
Is Jane Hammond's Fallen an overall warm or cool "composition"?
warm
in a work of art, "content" refers to
what the work expresses or means.
What is the subject matter of Isidro Escamilla's Virgin of Guadalupe?
It depicts the Virgin Mary at Tepayac
What is the content of Albert Bierstadt's Rocky Mountains?
It is a sublime representation of the mountain range that can be seen to encompass the spirit and character of the American West
What is the metaphorical significance of the carved sculpture, Feast Making Spoon, from the Ivory Coast?
It represents the power of the imagination to transform an everyday object into a symbolically charged container of social good.
In the history of art, the association of good with light and evil with dark was first fully-developed by
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Which of the artists below created a work titled Pietà?
Michaelangelo
Which of these pieces illustrates the use of "expressive" line?
Van Gogh's A Starry Night
Where did the court painters for the 16th century Mughal ruler, Akbar, draw inspiration for their illuminated manuscripts?
Western paintings and prints
The organization of visual elements in an artwork is called
a composition
By the 19th century, the type of perspective used in paintings such as J.M.W. Turner's Rain, Steam, and Speed—The Great Western Railway had come to dominate the thinking of landscape painters. What type is it?
aerial or atmospheric perspective
Objects that are intended to stimulate a sense of beauty in the viewer are thought to be _______ rather than functional.
aesthetic
What was the inspiration for Grace Ndiritu's Still Life: White Textiles?
an exhibition of work by Henri Matisse in 2005 in London
How is Sol LeWitt's line best described in his work, Wall Drawing No. 681 C?
analytic
Which of these is not a principle of "green architecture"?
architects look to continue to use building techniques and materials that have been in use since the Industrial Revolution in the West
Illuminated manuscripts, such as the Lindisfarne Gospels, are described as such because they
are elaborately illustrated and decorated
Cezanne's The Basket of Apples is full of what appear to be "mistakes" but are actually
artistic choices meant to engage the imagination of the viewer
Sayre states that he believes that all people are creative, but artists possess qualities that most don't. Which of the following best describes these qualities?
artists are critical thinkers, meaning they question assumptions and explore new directions
Nikolai Buglaj's "Race"ing Sideways is a commentary on the Western convention of
associating blackness with negative qualities
Figure of a Woman by Paul Colin probably derives from his____________.
association with Josephine Baker and La Revue Nègre
Where is the vanishing point in Duccio's Perspective Analysis of Annunciation of the Death of the Virgin, from the Maestá Altarpiece?
at several points in the composition
J.M.W. Turner uses two types of perspective in Rain, Steam, and Speed—The Great Western Railway. What are they?
atmospheric and one-point
DaVinci is largely responsible for formulating the rules of the effects of light and air in the landscape, called
atmospheric perspective
The background mountains in DaVinci's Madonna of the Rocks provide a perfect example of:
atmospheric perspective
When a style of line becomes associated as an artist's work, we say it is
autographic
What is the chief form of Islamic art?
calligraphy
Hung Liu's paintings, such as Three Fujins, rely on contrasts between two very important elements
carefully drawn structured lines and uncontrolled drip lines
One of the chief tools employed by artists of the Renaissance to show the effects of light is
chiaroscuro.
Which of the following is not an aspect of texture?
content
How can we describe Sol LeWitt's use of line in Wall Drawing No. 681 C?
controlled
On the color wheel, blues and greens are usually thought of as
cool colors
With atmospheric perspective, objects further from the viewer appear
cooler and less distinct
Line can be used to delineate edges of form in space, imply movement, and
create value by hatching and cross hatching
Michelangelo's Head of a Satyr shows the use of
cross hatching
The systematic and repetitive use of the same motif or design creates a pattern on the pages of the Lindisfarne Gospels, illustrates that pattern is an especially important
decorative tool
Paul Cézanne's Madame Cézanne in a Red Armchair illustrates that the artist was more interested in:
design
Jane Hammond's Fallen is made of many pieces, sewn together as a whole. What is it made of?
digitally scanned and printed images of a leaf
Mary Cassatt has manipulated light and color in In the Loge to emphasize the
division between male and female spaces
When and where was linear perspective first codified (studied, organized, and written down)?
during the Renaissance in Italy
What kind of reading does Kenneth Clark illustrate in his assessment that an ancient Greek statue represents a "higher state of civilization" than a West African mask?
ethnocentric
The Starry Night, by Vincent van Gogh, indicates the power of the artist's
expressive line
What is associated with the beautifying of utilitarian objects due to its application to crafts, folk art, and women's work?
femmage
In the Rubin vase illustration, the black shape can be seen alternately as a foreground object resembling a vase, or as a background space between two white profiled faces. What is this relationship called?
figure ground reversal
What is the chosen medium of the sculptor Dan Flavin?
fluorescent lighting
In The Dead Christ, Andrea Mantegna utilizes what technique in order to adjust the distortion created by the point of view?
foreshortening
Where does Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama draw inspiration for her work?
from very personal visual and existential experiences of her surroundings
Which of these statements apply to the remarkable 16th century Mughal ruler, Akbar?
he promoted religious tolerance, inviting followers of many different religions to participate in his court
Jasper Johns chose to paint his image of the American flag to express:
his proclivity for things seen but not examined.
Jan van Eyck's Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife Giovanna Cenami depicts many objects that have symbolic meaning. The use or study of these symbols is called:
iconography
The stained-glass window from Chartres Cathedral is an excellent example of the use of
iconography
Thick paint applied to a canvas, like on Robert Ryman's Long, creates actual texture known as
impasto
In Giacometti's Man Pointing, our eye is directed down his right arm and past his pointed finger to some imagined point of interest beyond. This is an example of which formal element?
implied line
Where is the negative space in the Rubin vase?
in both, depending how you look at it
A color's brightness or dullness is called its
intensity or saturation
On Newton's color wheel, colors that lie directly between a secondary and primary are called
intermediate colors
What is the subject matter of Shirin Neshat's Rebellious Silence?
it depicts a Muslim woman in a black chador, a rifle dividing, and Farsi text inscribed over her face
There is a contradiction in the appearance of Martin Puryear's Self. What is it?
it is much lighter than it appears, because it is hollow
Why is the stereoscope such an effective means of describing "real" space?
it mimics binocular vision
What is the function of the nsiki nkonde figure?
it pursued wrongdoers at night and punished them when nails were driven into it
Jacques-Louis David's The Death of Socrates is set up in a system of right angles on a grid structure. How does this affect the content of the piece?
it reiterates the rationality of Socrates' actions
What is the most obvious visual element in Matisse's Harmony in Red (The Red Room)?
its lack of spatial depth
Alexander Calder's "mobiles," like Untitled, move when air currents move through them, making them
kinetic
While in prison, Howling Wolf made many drawings called
ledger drawings
The terms naturalistic or realistic art are sometimes used to describe
representational art
Naturalism is a brand of representation in which the artist
retains realistic elements but presents the world from a personal or subjective point of view
Renzo Piano's Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center is an example of "green architecture." Such buildings are praised for their:
self-sufficiency
Faith Ringgold's God Bless America features an American flag turned into a prison cell. How is the figure of the woman contradictory?
she is both patriotic and racist
In House, how does Jaune Quick-to-See Smith evoke the simplicity of traditional Native American lifestyles that have disappeared?
simple black outlines and ironic messages
The artist Artemisia Gentileschi heightens the drama of Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes by using a technique that comes from an Italian word meaning "murky." This technique is called
tenebrism