art final exam review ch 17

Consider the painting, The Pursuit from The Progress of Love, by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and discuss why the patron rejected the series.

One of the characteristics of the Rococo style is the lighthearted, playful quality of content. The Countess du Barry commissioned on of the last masterpieces of Rococo art, a set of four large paintings by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, called The Progress of Love. The image presents a lush garden where an ardent youth chases after a girl. Above the figures a statue of two cupids seems to participate, watching for the outcome of the event. The Countess planned to decorate a new pavilion she built on her estate. Although the paintings were some of the best Fragonard painted in the Rococo style, the patron rejected them as she considered them too old-fashioned and sentimental. Rococo had run its course and seriousness was now in vogue, together with the artistic style of Neoclassicism.

Consider Bernini's St. Teresa in Ecstasy. Discuss the aspects of this work's form and content that exemplifies the religious Baroque style supporting the Roman Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation.

As a response to the Protestant Reformation the Catholic Church decided the arts should communicate religious themes in an emotional presentation, which gave rise to the Baroque style. Ecstasy of St. Theresa is a sculpture in the Cornaro Chapel, and depicts a Spanish mystic nun, who is an important Counter-Reformation figure. The entire chapel employs all of Bernini's talents, creating a theatrical arena, with St. Theresa as the focal point, setting the drama as if on a stage. An angel wields a spear, and the figure falls back in a dramatic collapse, her face full of emotional rapture. The deeply cut folds of the garment create abrupt contrasts of light and shadow, illuminated from a hidden window. Bernini sought to create a theatrical performance, and the viewer is caught up in the theatrical experience.

Compare and contrast the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles with the Mirror Room of the Amalienburg, indicating how aspects of each represent the Baroque and Rococo styles, respectively.

Baroque architecture favored ornamentation, as rich and complex as possible. The Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, used for the most elaborate state occasions, is an example of this elaborate splendor with its 240 feet of mirrored walls, gilded sculptures, and chandeliers. Where Baroque is large in scale, massive, and dramatic, Rococo has smaller scale and a lighthearted, playful quality. The Mirror Room, located in a small house near Munich, Germany, is a perfect riot of sinuous, twisting, almost visibly growing decorative forms. Large arched mirrors multiply the effect of the playful design. The line between the walls and ceiling is obscured deliberately to create the illusion of a sky above the room.

Consider Gentileschi's Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes and David's The Oath of the Horatii. These paintings represent idealized visions of heroic figures in two different cultures. Explain the political and social forces that influenced their form and content.

Gentileschi's "Judith" takes its subject matter from the biblical story of Judith, an Israelite widow who volunteered heroically to rescue her people from the Assyrian general Holofernes. Employing the Baroque style, Gentileschi focuses on the moments after Judith decapitates Holofernes. She lights the figures dramatically and plunges the backgrounds into shadow. As a painter of the French Revolution, David's painting displays the political implications of great patriotism in The Oath of the Horatii. The painting depicts the story of three brothers who take an oath to sacrifice themselves in defense of their city. David organizes the composition with geometric precision, employing light from the left of the composition, which emphasizes mass and volume.

Baroque art is often considered to be dramatic and emotional. With reference to specific works, explain how artists created these effects, and then discuss the purposes for which artists sought to affect viewers emotionally during this period.

Responses will vary depending on selected artwork. Renaissance art stressed the calm of reason. In contrast, Baroque art is full of energy, emotion, and movement. The dynamism and theatricality of Baroque is evident in the sculptures of Gianlorenzo Bernini. Ecstasy of St. Theresa is a sculpture in the Cornaro Chapel. The entire chapel employs all of Bernini's talents, creating a theatrical arena, with St. Theresa setting the drama as if on a stage. An angel wields a spear, and the figure falls back in a dramatic collapse, her face full of emotional rapture. The deeply cut folds of the garment create abrupt contrasts of light and shadow, illuminated from a hidden window. Bernini sought to create a theatrical performance, and the viewer is caught up in the theatrical experience.

Explain the relationship between Neoclassical art and the revolutionary movements in the 18th century. Support your points with references to specific works of the period.

Responses will vary due to selection of artwork. Neoclassicism, or "new classicism" is an 18th-and 19th-century movement in art and architecture that looked to the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration. Neoclassical art emphasized order, restraint, and clarity. Jacques Louis David was an influential painter in the Neoclassical style and became a supporter of the French Revolution. His style of painting revealed an intellectual approach to depict the political events and people of the Revolution.

Foremost among French painters of the 17th century was ___________ who painted _________. a. Nicolas Poussin; The Ashes of Phokion b. Judith Leyster; Carousing Couple c. Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun; Marie Antoinette and her Children d. Jacques Louis David; Death of Marat e. Jean-Honoré Fragonard; The Pursuit

a

What nationality was Peter Paul Rubens? a. Spanish b. Italian c. French d. English e. Flemish

e

Gianlorenzo Bernini was a. a sculptor. b. an architect. c. a dramatist. d. a composer. e. All these answers are correct.

e

Compare and contrast Baroque art in France, Spain, and Italy with Dutch Baroque, mentioning not only the formal visual aspects of works, but also differences in theme and content. Finally, explain the major reasons for the differences.

Baroque art is full of energy, emotion, and movement, and favored greater contrast between colors, and light and dark. Architecture and sculpture favored ornamentation, as rich and complex as possible. The Catholic Church encouraged a response to the Protestant Reformation resulting in the Baroque style, which dictated the arts should communicate religious themes in an emotional presentation. Dutch Baroque, sometimes called "bourgeois Baroque" is quite different from the Baroque art of France, Spain, and Italy. Protestantism in the North was the dominant religion and outward symbols of faith, imagery, ornate churches, and pageantry were far less important. Artists painted scenes of everyday life, also called genre paintings, in addition to landscape painting.

Discuss the similarities and differences in Entombment, a painting by Italian artist Carvaggio, and Raising of the Cross, by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens.

Both paintings are in the Baroque style. Rubens traveled to Italy and studied the works of Italian masters, including Caravaggio. There are similarities between these two paintings, in the sharply diagonal composition and dramatic lighting. There are differences in the two master's styles in regard to the placement of the figures. Caravaggio's seem almost frozen in a moment of anguish, but Ruben's painting teems with movement and energy, each of the participants balanced precariously and straining at his task. The action in Entombment is contained on four sides within the canvas frame. But Ruben's figures burst outside the picture in several directions, suggesting a continuation of the action.

Consider Velázquez's Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) and Rembrandt's Sortie of Captain Cocq's Company of the Civic Guard (The Night Watch). The two paintings were made within ten years of one another, but in countries with very different cultures. Explain the social/political forces that contribute to the works' differences.

The Spanish court, under the rule of King Phillip IV, was eager to emulate the pomp and pageantry of the French court. In his capacity as the King's court painter, Velázquez created his masterpiece Las Meninas. The setting is a room in the royal palace with an assembly of people, the royal couple, their daughter, attendants, dwarfs, and fine objects that represent court life. There is ambiguity in the subject, as we can only guess at the subject he is painting, but that is part of the fascination. The painting is an official portrait and Velázquez conveys a warm, everyday quality. Rembrandt's Night Watch portrays a kind of private elite militia. Such groups played a prominent role, but by Rembrandt's time their function was largely ceremonial. Rembrandt's innovation was to paint individual portraits within the context of a larger activity, a call to arms.

In comparison to Baroque art, the style of Rococo a. is more playful and lighthearted. b. is more suitable for public places. c. tends to employ more intense colors. d. tends to employ more intense colors, is more playful and lighthearted, and is more suitable for public places. e. None of these answers is correct.

a

St. Teresa in Ecstasy is an excellent example of a. Baroque sculpture. b. Mannerist allegory. c. Neoclassical portraiture. d. Renaissance illumination. e. Rococo painting.

a

Typical of Dutch landscape painting was the work of a. Jacob van Ruisdael. b. Judith Leyster. c. Frans Hals. d. Rembrandt. e. Nicolas Poussin.

a

For some two hundred years, many of the works of Judith Leyster were a. locked away in an attic and forgotten. b. mistakenly identified as the work of Frans Hals. c. virtually ignored while decorating the walls of a hospital. d. painted over, because they had been sold for their canvas alone after her death. e. buried in the Leyster family crypt .

b

One of the most influential buildings of the architect Francisco Borromini was a. St. Peters. b. San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane. c. Cornaro Chapel. d. Palace of Versailles. e. Amlienburg.

b

Which artists intentionally used their work to shape the public's view of prominent figures? a. Gentileschi and Caravaggio b. Vigée-Lebrun and David c. Van Ruisdael and Leyster d. Borromini and Poussin e. Fragonard and Watteau

b

Among the following artists, whose innovation was it to create group portraits in the setting of an activity, rather than posing the subjects formally? a. Van Ruisdael b. Poussin c. Rembrandt d. Vigée-Lebrun e. Copley

c

In Baroque architecture, wall surfaces often protrude into the viewer's space. In Baroque painting, this same effect is created through the use of a. collage. b. three-dimensional canvases. c. dramatic lighting. d. ornamentation. e. All these answers are correct.

c

The Palace of Versailles was home to a. Philip IV of Spain. b. Maria Theresa of Austria. c. Louis XIV of France. d. Julius II of Rome. e. Jean Paul Marat.

c

The following characteristics are all typical of Italian Baroque art EXCEPT a. ornamentation. b. theatricality. c. classic simplicity. d. movement. e. emotion.

c

Because many European monarchs of the 17th and 18th centuries ruled with near-dictatorial power, this period is often referred to as a.the golden mean b.the royal era c.the gilded age d.the age of kings e.the rule of monarchs

d

Paintings depicting scenes of everyday life are known as ________ paintings. a. trompe l'oeil b. vanitas c. history d. genre e. still-life

d

The Baroque painting Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes depicts a story from a. ancient Greek mythology. b. The Tale of Genji. c. Beowulf. d. the Bible. e. Dante's Inferno.

d

The following is true about Rembrandt EXCEPT a. he was born in the Dutch city of Leiden. b. he was a master of multiple types of painting, including portraits, landscapes, and religious scenes. c. he painted self-portraits throughout his career. d. he achieved and maintained financial success throughout his life. e. he was the son of a miller.

d

Unlike Baroque art from Catholic countries, Dutch Baroque art focused upon a. the community. b. business life. c. the family and home. d. all of these: the community, business life, and the family and home. e. None of these answers is correct.

d

Which work of art tells the story of a man who was murdered in his bath? a. The Ashes of Phokion b. The Proposition c. Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes d. The Death of Marat e. The Pursuit

d

________ helped shape the Neoclassical style. a. The Catholic Counter-Reformation b. The invention of photography c. The American Civil War d. The excavations of ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum e. None of these answers is correct.

d

A work of art that uses a tragic Roman tale to arouse feelings of patriotism, self-sacrifice, and civic virtues in its viewers is a. Sortie of Captain Banning Cocq's Company of the Civic Guard. b. The Ashes of Phokion. c. Las Meninas. d. The Progress of Love. e. The Oath of the Horatii.

e

One of Queen Marie-Antoinette's favorite portrait painters was a. Jean Antoine Watteau. b. Nicolas Poussin. c. Judith Leyster. d. Diego Velázquez. e. Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun.

e

Which of the following was court painter to King Philip IV? a. Gianlorenzo Bernini b. Artemisia Gentileschi c. Francesco Borromini d. Jacques-Louis David e. Diego Velázquez

e