Art History Exam 1

Which of the following visual characteristics of the The Standing Male Worshipper from Tell Asmar tells us about how it was meant to convey a sense of timelessness? (Choose all that apply)

- Wide-eyed - Symmetrical - Frontal - Static - lacking movement

One of the well-known slabs of the Apollo 11 cave stones has an unidentified animal form drawn to resemble a feline in appearance but with human hind legs. What unique, and important information can this depiction tell us about prehistoric man in southern Africa? Choose all answers that may apply.

Perhaps it is a supernatural creature suggesting a complex system of shamanistic belief The form is as much imagined as it was observed showing early humans possessed the new and unique capacity for modern symbolic thought. The discovery contributes to our conception of early humanity's creative attempts, before the invention of formal writing, to express their thoughts about the world around them

The Ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom is also known as what?

The Age of Pyramids

Which of the following traditional costume items are reserved for depictions of the Egyptian kings? Choose all that apply.

- Nemes headress - Protective cobra (uraeus) - False royal beard

Choose all of the following statements that apply to this image: Stone henge

- Some of the original stones were mined from about 250 miles away in Wales - This work is located on Salisbury Plain, England - This work has a relationship with the solar and lunar calendar - It is an example of tremendous planning and organization of labor - This work dates to the Prehistoric/Neolithic period

Which of the following symbols supports the idea that the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin shows more than a historical victory, but Naram-Sin as assuming the status of a god and rising into the heavenly realm? Choose all that apply.

- The suns (or stars) above that represent deities or guiding forces -The size of Naram-Sin, bigger than the other figures - The horned helmet of Naram-Sin - The placement of Naram-Sin at the top of the mountain

Which of the following describes the work of art shown here? Choose all that apply. (halls of lussix)

- These images are located deep within the cave and high on the walls - These depictions are made from charcoal and ochre -It is unknown why the artist(s) created these images, but they are communicating during a time where survival was the main concern for humans. - It was created in the Prehistoric/Paleolithic period

The Bust of Queen Nefertiti was made for ________________.

An artist's studio sample.

Which of the following terms is identified as a rectangular tomb type with flat roof and sloping sides. It is also the Arabic word for "bench."

Mastaba

Statue of a Seated Scribe can be described as which of the following?

Natural

Which of the following is a kind of pigmented, earthen material, that is soft and can be mixed with liquids, and comes in a range of colors like brown, red, yellow, and white? This medium was used to create cave paintings in the Prehistoric Paleolithic period.

Ochre

Choose which of the following statements apply to this work. (Choose all that apply)

- The object is a ceremonial version of a palette, an object used during this culture for mixing minerals for cosmetics (dark eyeliner) - The falcon represents the god Horus - This object dates to c. 3000-2920 BCE - This object was found buried within a temple, where it may have served as a votive offering - Many of the visual elements are consistent with Egyptian art for the following three millenia

Choose all of the following statements that apply to these works: Pyrimids

- The shape of these structures relates to the sun - The outer casing stones were originally white limestone - These are part of a larger mortuary complex of structures relating to royalty - The shape of these structures relates to this cultures belief in the place of creation

The function of the statue of King Menkaure and queen include which of the following? Choose all that may apply.

- To ensure rebirth of the king in the afterlife - To serve as a focus for cult worship in the temple - A representation of Menkaure walking into timeless eternity.

After watching the video, Visiting Babylon, explain in your own words why you think the modern ruler Saddam Hussein was interested in restoring, or reconstructing, the imperial city of Babylon?

Babylon was a huge tourism site. He wants to make the tourism industry flourish again. Keep digging. The opportunity to control a site visited by so many people can serve an alternate purpose. According to the video (near the end), Hussein saw himself as an heir to the kings of Babylon, it was for political reasons.

Which of the following animals is NOT used on the enormous capitals of Persian palaces to represent Ancient Persian royal authority and kingship ?

Fish

The Standing Male Worshipper (Tell Asmar) has a style described as which?

Geometric (cynlindrical, V-shaped torso)

Which of the following is the guardian figure created to protect the gates of Ancient Near East Assyrian citadels?

Lamassu

In your own words, how did Assyrian rulers display kingship? Give examples of specific leader and titles of works.

The kings used art to depict their power, military history, and wealth. One example is Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions.

What is one possible reason why the Ishtar Gates are made of glazed bricks?

The lack of stone and timber in the region.

In Ancient Egypt, depictions of nature including lotus, papyrus, and palm plants refer to what?

The marsh-like environment of creation

Which of the following describes the function of the Sumerian Standard of Ur?

The original function is not understood.

Assyrian kings decorated the walls of their palace with reliefs of hunts and battles. These scenes were meant to communicate which of the following to visitors?

The power of the Assyrian kings.

The focal point of the composition on the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin is which?

The ruler Naram-Sin

The radical break in Egyptian artistic style occurring around 1350 BCE is a response to which of the following?

The ruler changing the state religion.

The sphinx is the fusion of a lion with the head of the pharaoh, an icon that survived and was often used throughout Egyptian history. The lion part represents a royal symbol as well as being connected with what?

The sun as a symbol of the horizon

In the Assyrian palace reliefs of Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions, the lions are symbols of which of the following?

The violence of nature.

Which of the following was the political system of the Sumerians where a god is recognized as the ruler, and the state officials operate on the god's behalf?

Theocracy

There are many theories as to why prehistoric peoples painted the walls of Lascaux. Which one is the LEAST likely?

There is no meaning, the artists were decorating their caves.

We can interpret the pose of the greywhake statue of King Menkaure and his queen (2490-2472 BCE) from the Valley temple of Menkaure's complex as representing what?

They both lack emotion to express timelessness. They both look beyond the present and into timeless eternity.

The House Altar Depicting Akhenaton, Nefertiti and Three of their Daughters is an example of a work from the Amarna period, a brief period of religious and artistic upheaval in Ancient Egypt.

True

The use of symmetry in ancient art is often associated with permanence and timelessness.

True

True or False. The majority of Ancient Egyptian works were never meant to be seen.

True

Paleolithic artists often used a technique called _____________ to depict the horns of animals.

Twisted perspective

To reinforce her divine mythology and right to rule, the Egyptian ruler Hatshepsut did not adopt the visual forms of kingship and instead created a new visual style different than previous pharaohs.

False

True or False. Pyramids were stand-alone structures with no other buildings allowed to be near them.

False

________________ is the most major source of influence on Ancient Egyptian culture and development.

The Nile River

The sculptural decoration of which Ancient Persian site reinforced the ideas that the Persian king ruled over all ambassadors and vassals?

The great audience hall at Persepolis (in modern day Iran)

What was the most interesting and/or surprising thing you learned about Ancient Egyptian Art?

I loved learning about the Rosetta Stone. It has become such a symbol in understanding and learning languages. It was interesting to learn the history of such an amazing work of art.

Which of the following is referred to as the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs?

The Rosetta Stone

________________ is one of the oldest forms of writing known.

Cuneiform

Which of the following is the first truly colossal sculpture in Egyptian history?

The Great Sphinx

Which does NOT refer to Mesopotamia, the region containing the Ancient Near East?

The Indus Valley

Which of the following was the most visited site in Iraq for international tourism before the 2003 US invasion and fall of Saddam Hussein?

The city of Babylon

What is Ancient Persian term meaning a large ceremonial building, possibly an audience hall, with many columns like the one at Persepolis?

Apadana

Stonehenge was built in __________ stage(s).

3

Each side of the Standard of Ur is organized into three registers. What is a register?

A horizontal band or level on a work of art.

What is a trilithon?

A pair of upright stones with a lintel stone spanning their tops.

The image of King Hammurabi on the Law Code Stele emphasizes Hammurabi as what type of ruler?

A pious theocrat given sanction to rule from the gods.

A vertical stone monument or marker often inscribed with text or relief carving is what?

A stele

Which of the following work is considered the oldest examples of figurative art from the African continent?

Apollo 11 Cave Stones

What is the main reason Ancient Egyptian artistic imagery, including poses, gestures, costumes, and symbols, resisted change and persisted for almost 3000 years?

Consistency was viewed as stability, divine balance, and correctness of their culture.

The depictions of Akhenaten differs from other Pharonic portraits in which way?

Curvilinear forms in the anatomy of the figure - swollen belly, thin arms, and elongated skull.

The Standing Male Worshipper from Tell Asmar, and most of the Sumerian statuettes of worshippers, are meant to be portraits of specific people.

False

______________ is one of the oldest continuously lived-in cities in the world.

Jericho

The artist who created the Venus of Willendorf emphasized which parts of her body?

Her reproductive parts (pubic region and breats)

What animals are among those depicted at Lascaux?

Horses, deer, bison, elk, lions, and rhinoceros

Persia was the first empire known to have acknowledged the different faiths, languages and political organizations of its subjects. How did the Persians show they were very proud of this new approach to empire?

It can be seen in the representation of the many different peoples in the reliefs from Persepolis

The Sumerian Standing Male Worshipper, with its hands clasped together, his broad shoulders, erect stance, is described as having a sense of frontality. What does it mean what a work of art has a "sense of frontality"?

It is meant to be seen from the front

In your own words, describe the forms and subjects on the Bushel with ibex motifs. (Make sure to use art terminology when appropriate, such as naturalistic, stylistic, linear, elongated, abstract, etc.) What do these forms or styles tell us about the meaning of the images, the vessel, time period and the people who created the vessel?

Me: This vessel is a beautiful vessel. It depicts an abstract mountain goat with oversized horns and lots of details. The other animals on the vase work together to make an intricate pattern. The meaning behind the animals is not known because there is no written history pertaining to the creatures. The fact that the art form is a vessel tells us that people were starting to settle down. It would add a lot of weight to carry that around so people were most likely staying in sttlements. Need to be much more specific. What specific forms? Goats, ibex, dogs, or birds? What is the style of the forms? Geometric, elongated abstracted, and linear. Why? They connect to the function of the vessel - connect to water or life. Or they can connect to the find site - a cemetery, connects to the afterlife.

Which of the following are materials used in Ancient Egyptian Art? Choose all that apply.

Metals Stones Woods Pigments

The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin is an example of what kind of sculpture?

Relief sculpture

Hatshepsut commissioned art and architecture to convey which of the following?

Royal authority.

Which of the following best describes characteristics of the Neolithic period?

Settled living, bigger sculpture, farming, domestication of animals, and a temperate/moderate climate.

Sumerian statuettes found in temple floors represent which of the following?

Stand-ins for worshippers to continually offer prayers to the god.

Which of the following is defined as a built raised platform with four sloping sides?

Ziggurat