STUDY GUIDE
MEDIEVAL
PLASTER CAST OF A TYMPANUM FROM CHARTRES CATHEDRAL (91.271)
What is a tympanum?
What is the subject matter of the tympanum and what was its purpose to the faithful?
What is the difference between the subject matter of a Romanesque tympanum and that
of an Early Gothic tympanum?
How are Mathew, Mark, Luke and John represented on the tympanum?
What color would the tympanum have been during the medieval period?
PLASTER CASTS OF JAMB FIGURES (91.272.1 AND 2)
What is a jamb figure?
Who do the jamb figures represent?
PAINTED CRUCIFIX (61.73)
What is the meaning of the term stigmata?
What is the symbolic meaning of the Pelican of Piety?
FLIGHT INTO EGYPT (76.31)
What would have been the physical orientation of this altarpiece to the congregation
inside the church?
Describe how a polyptych was used in the liturgy of the church.
How is the subject, Flight Into Egypt, differentiated from the subject, Return from Egypt?
THE ASCENDING CHRIST (68.419)
What are the similarities between the three-dimensional depiction of drapery as seen in
The Ascending Christ and the two-dimensional depiction of drapery as seen in Flight Into
Egypt (76.31)?
Describe how The Ascending Christ was used during The Feast of the Ascension
ceremony.
How did the Protestant Reformation impact on religious figures like The Ascending
Christ?
MATER DOLOROSA AND SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST (61.81)
What does the blue color of the Virgin's mantle symbolize?
MADONNA AND CHILD AND THE MAN OF SORROWS (61.75)
What is meant by the Instruments of the Passion?
TRIPTYCH WITH SCENES FROM THE GOSPEL (64.30)
What is an icon and how were they used?
STUDY GUIDE answers
MEDIEVAL
PLASTER CAST OF A TYMPANUM FROM CHARTRES CATHEDRAL (91.271)
What is a tympanum?
In medieval architecture, the surface enclosed by the arch and lintel of an
arched doorway, frequently carved with relief decoration.
What is the subject matter of the tympanum and what was its purpose to the faithful?
The museum's tympanum renders the Second Coming and Last
Judgement.
What is the difference between the subject matter of a Romanesque tympanum and that
of an Early Gothic tympanum?
The Early Gothic tympanum as seen here shows christ offering salvation
rather than damnation as seen in Romanesque works.
How are Mathew, Mark, Luke and John represented on the tympanum?
They are represented by the angel, lion, ox and eagle respectively.
What color would the tympanum have been during the medieval period?
Originally, the tympanum would have been polychromatic.
PLASTER CASTS OF JAMB FIGURES (91.272.1 AND 2)
What is a jamb figure?
A jamb figure is a sculptured figure that flanks a doorway.
Who do the jamb figures represent?
The jamb figures often represented Old Testament kings and queens. It
was commonly believed that the figures were royalty, thus causing the
west portal to be regarded as the "royal portal" or "Heavenly Gateway to
Jerusalem." The museum's figures represent the Queen of Sheba and King
Solomon.
PAINTED CRUCIFIX (61.73)
What is the meaning of the term stigmata?
Stigmata: miraculous wounds received in the hands and feet that
resembled those suffered by Christ on the cross.
What is the symbolic meaning of the Pelican of Piety?
According to medieval legend, the pelican, more than any other creature,
had the greatest love for its young. When her offspring appeared to have
died, she was said to have pierced her side in order to feed them with her
own blood. Her action was thus seen as a symbol of Christ's sacrifice on
the cross.
FLIGHT INTO EGYPT (76.31)
What would have been the physical orientation of this altarpiece to the congregation
inside the church?
It would have been placed on or immediately behind the altar.
Describe how a polyptych was used in the liturgy of the church.
Altarpiece panels were hinged so that different scenes could be on viewed
according to the liturgical season.
How is the subject, Flight Into Egypt, differentiated from the subject, Return from Egypt?
The "Return" shows Christ as a young boy rather as an infant.
THE ASCENDING CHRIST (68.419)
What are the similarities between the three-dimensional depiction of drapery as seen in
The Ascending Christ and the two-dimensional depiction of drapery as seen in Flight Into
Egypt (76.31)?
The hard, angular drapery style is seen in both works.
Describe how The Ascending Christ was used during The Feast of the Ascension
ceremony.
At a climactic moment during the Easter ceremony, by means of a rope
and pulley system, the figure would have been raised slowly above the
congregation--amid clouds of incense and jubilant singing--to simulate
Christ's Ascension.
How did the Protestant Reformation impact on religious figures like The Ascending
Christ?
Many came to view all liturgical art as part of idolatrous excesses. The
Reformation was thus characterized by a strong iconoclasm, or hate and
destruction of images.
MATER DOLOROSA AND SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST (61.81)
What does the blue color of the Virgin's mantle symbolize?
It refered to her roles as Queen of Heaven and as intercessor between God
and man.
MADONNA AND CHILD AND THE MAN OF SORROWS (61.75)
What is meant by the Instruments of the Passion?
They were tools symbolizing the sufferings Christ endured during His last
week of earthly life.
TRIPTYCH WITH SCENES FROM THE GOSPEL (64.30)
What is an icon and how were they used?
An icon is a holy image. It is easily portable and thus was presumably
made for private use.
STUDY GUIDE
Medieval and Early Renaissance
The medieval period roughly includes the thousand year period from
_____________A.D. to ____________A.D.
While ____________, the eastern remnant of the Roman empire, maintained a
continuous sovereignty, the empire in the west disintegrated. __________________,
however, firmly established, provided a unifying force which kept learning and
knowledge of the useful arts alive.
The terms __________________ and _____________________ have been used to describe
the style of later medieval art and architecture.
Romanesque architecture thrived from about _______________to the middle of the
_______________ century.
The term Gothic is generally used to describe the style which predominated from
________until around ________________.
What is meant by "International Gothic" style that developed around 1400?
The Early Renaissance retained some elements of the ________________style.
(see STUDY GUIDE: Medieval for questions related to specific gallery works)
STUDY GUIDE answers
Medieval and Early Renaissance
The medieval period roughly includes the thousand-year period from
_____________A.D. to ____________A.D.
400
1400
While ____________, the eastern remnant of the Roman empire, maintained a
continuous sovereignty, the empire in the west disintegrated. __________________,
however, firmly established, provided a unifying force which kept learning and
knowledge of the useful arts alive.
Byzantium
Christianity
The terms __________________ and _____________________ have been used to describe
the style of later medieval art and architecture.
Romanesque
Gothic
Romanesque architecture thrived from about _______________to the middle of the
_______________ century.
1000
twelfth
The term Gothic is generally used to describe the style which predominated from
________until around ________________.
1150
1450
What is meant by "International Gothic" style that developed around 1400?
At first centered around Paris, during the thirteenth century regional
styles of Gothic art began to assert themselves. Toward the middle of the
following century, however, these regional achievements influenced each
other until, about 1400, a suprisingly homogenous International Gothic
style prevailed almost everywhere in Europe.
The Early Renaissance retained some elements of the ________________style.
Gothic
(see STUDY GUIDE: Medieval for questions related to specific gallery works)
STUDY GUIDE
Renaissance and Mannerism
List five major movements embraced by the Renaissance.
Of what consequence was the invention of movable type and Gutenberg's printing
press?
The three-dimensional quality seen in Melone's Madonna and Child is called
_______________.
How were classical models regarded during the Renaissance?
How do the two Hercules panels exemplify the difference of Renaissance humanism in
northern Europe?
What was the Reformation?
How was liturgical art (the Ascending Christ) regarded by the reformers?
How does Bordone's Thetis and Hephaestus exemplify a Mannerist style?
The Temptation of St. Anthony by Montagna may have been part of a predella, or
pedestal, of an _________________. The predella was often decorated with small
narrative scenes which related to the piece's central scene.
STUDY GUIDE answers
Renaissance and Mannerism
List five major movements embraced by the Renaissance.
Advancement of humanistic and scientific knowledge
Amazing outburst of productivity in the arts
The rise of the reformation
The discovery of new worlds through navigation
Growth of cities and national states
Of what consequence was the invention of movable type and Gutenberg's printing
press?
Gutenberg's printing press made books more available and aided the
spread of knowledge.
The three-dimensional quality seen in Melone's Madonna and Child is called
_______________.
single point perspective
How were classical models regarded during the Renaissance?
The classical models inspired as well as helped in the rediscovery of the
joys and beauty of the natural world for its own sake
How do the two Hercules panels exemplify the difference of Renaissance humanism in
northern Europe?
It shows the shift away from Medieval symbolism and heavenly fisions
toward a more careful description and more accurate representation of
forms as seen in the natural world.
What was the Reformation?
Abuses among the clergy in amassing land and money laid the basis for
the Reformation instigated by Martin Luther. The reformers held that
individuals by reading the scriptures could interpret the word of God for
themselves and arrive at the truths independent of the mediation of the
clergy.
How was liturgical art (the Ascending Christ) regarded by the reformers?
They viewed it as an impediment to truth.
How does Bordone's Thetis and Hephaestus exemplify a Mannerist style?
Taking technical achievements such as perspective and foreshortening for
granted and then deliberately breaking the rules, leading to bold dramatic
departures from precedent
The Temptation of St. Anthony by Montagna may have been part of a predella, or
pedestal, of an _________________. The predella was often decorated with small
narrative scenes which related to the piece's central scene.
altarpiece
STUDY GUIDE
17th Century
List five societal changes during the Baroque period?
What was the Counter-Reformation?
Explain what is meant by "trompe l'oiel."
What is a "bozzetto."
How does Abraham and Isaac from the workshop of Rembrandt exemplify the Baroque
style?
David and Goliath, attributed to Caracciolo, is an excellent and very typical example of
the influence of the artist ____________________.
Like River Scene with Ruined Tower and River Scene with Hay Wagon, Heermans'
Wintersport by the city Wall is an example of a _______________ ______________ painting.
Noli Me Tangere is attributed to the Circle of _______________.
Van Goyen's River Scenes and Frans Francken's King Solomon Making Offerings to the Gods
are examples of art created for a new class of patrons resulting from _____________
_______________.
Like the best of Baroque art, the outward form of Permoser's St. Jerome expresses an
_______________ ____________.
STUDY GUIDE answers
17th Century
List five societal changes during the Baroque period?
restless opposition
violent clashes
vast expansion
opened up new worlds of scientific knowledge
opened up new worlds of artistic creativity
What was the Counter-Reformation?
When Catholicism first met the Protestant threat by an inner reform of its
own.
Explain what is meant by "trompe l'oiel."
"Fool the Eye" usually on ceiling of churches, they would be painted to
look as if the roof had lifted away to reveal a heavenly event.
What is a "bozzetto."
A small version of the ceiling - the preparatory sketch - this was done for
the approval of the patron.
How does Abraham and Isaac from the workshop of Rembrandt exemplify the Baroque
style?
The emphasis on motion and opposition as well as its sense of Drama.
David and Goliath, attributed to Caracciolo, is an excellent and very typical example of
the influence of the artist ____________________.
Caravaggio
Like River Scene with Ruined Tower (65.180) and River Scene with Hay Wagon (66.358),
Heermans' Wintersport by the city Wall (71.31) is an example of a _______________
______________ painting.
Dutch landscape
Noli Me Tangere is attributed to the Circle of _______________.
Rubens
Van Goyen's River Scenes and Frans Francken's King Solomon Making Offerings to the Gods
are examples of art created for a new class of patrons resulting from _____________
_______________.
economic expansion
Like the best of Baroque art, the outward form of Permoser's St. Jerome expresses an
_______________ ____________.
interior drama
STUDY GUIDE
Eighteenth Century
The eighteenth century is often discussed as the age of ______________________, a
blanket term used to describe the spirit of rational scientific inquiry and optimistic
worldview which was grounded in a firm belief in progress.
The total effect of eighteenth century art is more ___________ than the restless Baroque,
as well as more _______________ and ________________, rather than
_________________.
During the eighteenth century, the shift in the audience from a declining aristocracy to
the rising bourgeoisie ______________, and the final phase of the aristocratic Baroque
style was reflected in the _________________.
The Hermit Frere Luce by Hubert Robert, is an example of the anti-clerical satire
reflecting the scorn of _________________ ___________________ shared by many of
Robert's contemporaries.
St. Constantine by Grauer is an example of the ________________ style which persisted
in many areas well into the eighteenth century and the period of Enlightenment.
STUDY GUIDE answers
Eighteenth Century
The eighteenth century is often discussed as the age of ______________________, a
blanket term used to describe the spirit of rational scientific inquiry and optimistic
worldview which was grounded in a firm belief in progress.
Enlightenment
The total effect of eighteenth century art is more ___________ than the restless Baroque,
as well as more _______________ and ________________, rather than
_________________.
fluid - capricious - playful - serious
During the eighteenth century, the shift in the audience from a declining aristocracy to
the rising bourgeoisie ______________, and the final phase of the aristocratic Baroque
style was reflected in the _________________.
accelerated
Rococo
The Hermit Frere Luce by Hubert Robert, is an example of the anti-clerical satire
reflecting the scorn of _________________ ___________________ shared by of Robert's
contemporaries.
established religion
St. Constantine by Grauer is an example of the ________________ style which persisted
in many areas well into the eighteenth century and the period of Enlightenment.
Baroque
STUDY GUIDE answers
NINETEENTH CENTURY
In Art, the two most important stylistic currents of the nineteenth century were
___________________ and __________________.
____________________ (as seen in the work by Klinger) was beloved by Apollo who
bestowed the gift of prophecy upon her. However, because she refused his favors,
Apollo ordained that her prophecies would not be __________________. (related to the
Iliad)
In Ansiaux's painting, Alexander, Apelles, and Campaspe (86.25), one sees on Apelles'
canvas the sketch of _________ and __________ instead of Alexander and Campaspe.
Comparisons and contrasts can be made between the these two couples: like Paris,
Alexander had a eye for ________; however, unlike Paris whose self-indulgence in
abducting Helen ultimately led to the Trojan war (the Iliad), Alexander renounced
Campaspe out of selfless recognition of the higher good of _________.
Bathing Nymphs by Halbig depicts two nymphs, beautiful and chaste young female
spirits who inhabited ________________, __________________ or ________________.
The fascination with peoples thought to be "exotic," and frequently with what was
perceived as the sensual world of near-eastern harem, has been called
__________________. ____________ _____________ by Wyburd is an example of this.
Another example is ____________ ________________ by Colman.
How does Gerry's The Lake of Avernus relate to the ancients, Virgil and Homer?
When comparing The Lake of Avernus, a nineteenth century landscape by Gerry, to van
Goyen's seventeenth century River Scenes, what is the relation of background to figure?
Bierstadt's North Italian Landscape and Gerry's The Lake of Avernus are examples of
________________ landscape.
What do the landscapes by artists de la Pena, Bricher, Jones, Bierstadt and Gerry have in
common?
Unlike the classical Italianate landscapes, Barbizon works (i.e. Clearing in the Forest of
Fontainbleau by de la Pena) were felt by many to be too ______________________.
STUDY GUIDE answers
NINETEENTH CENTURY
In Art, the two most important stylistic currents of the nineteenth century were
___________________ and __________________.
Neoclassicism - Romanticism
____________________ (as seen in the work by Klinger) was beloved by Apollo who
bestowed the gift of prophecy upon her. However, because she refused his favors,
Apollo ordained that her prophecies would not be __________________. (related to the
Iliad)
Cassandra (79.95) - believed
In Ansiaux's painting, Alexander, Apelles, and Campaspe, one sees on Apelles' canvas the
sketch of _________ and __________ instead of Alexander and Campaspe.
Comparisons and contrasts can be made between the these two couples: like Paris,
Alexander had a eye for ________; however, unlike Paris whose self-indulgence in
abducting Helen ultimately led to the Trojan war (the Iliad), Alexander renounced
Campaspe out of selfless recognition of the higher good of _________.
Paris - Helen - beauty - art
Bathing Nymphs by Halbig depicts two nymphs, beautiful and chaste young female
spirits who inhabited ________________, __________________ or ________________.
oceans - streams - mountains
The fascination with peoples thought to be "exotic," and frequently with what was
perceived as the sensual world of near-eastern harem, has been called
__________________. ____________ _____________ by Wyburd is an example of this.
Another example is ____________ ________________ by Colman.
Orientalism - Lallah Rookh - Arabian Market
The fact that Still Life with Flowers was not actually made by van Huysum is based the
timing of the discovery of a particular ____________.
flower
Still Life with Bowl is by Claudine Raguet Hirst who worked under the name __________
in order to conceal her ____________________.
Claude - gender
Summer by Jones and View of Cohasset by Bricher are examples of painters depicting
what they felt to be the greater power in nature in relation to the relatively
_______________ role of man in the greater scheme of things.
insignificant
How does Gerry's The Lake of Avernus relate to the ancients, Virgil and Homer?
The lake was considered by the ancients, Virgil and Homer, to be the
entrance to the underworld and the description of the site in Virgil's
Aeneid was well known.
When comparing The Lake of Avernus, a nineteenth century landscape by Gerry, to van
Goyen's seventeenth century River Scenes, what is the relation of background to figure?
In Gerry's work, this land itself becomes the primary subject.
Bierstadt's North Italian Landscape and Gerry's The Lake of Avernus are examples of
________________ landscape.
Italianate
What do the landscapes by artists de la Pena, Bricher, Jones, Bierstadt and Gerry have in
common?
A spiritual release in the beauty of nature.
Unlike the classical Italianate landscapes, Barbizon works (i.e. Clearing in the Forest of
Fontainbleau by de la Pena) were felt by many to be too ______________________.
uncultivated
STUDY GUIDE
MODERN
The roots of the modern period are generally traced to the late _____________century.
Modern art is characterized by a plethora of competing styles and methods, by
countless "________" and schisms.
Such diversity in styles in modern art is also a consequence of the underlying
_____________of modern life.
The term __________________ has come to mean the portrayal of the American scene,
consisting especially of rural views that recall the traditionalism and picturesqueness of
American life. Originating in the 1930s, the movement believed in the superiority of
"__________________" over "_____________________" art. They believed that art should
be accessible to the public in style and subject, and that this was best achieved through
the depiction of _____________________, ____________________ forms (Benton 's
Portrait of a Musician).
The _________ represented bodies from several viewpoints simultaneously (Kerkam's
Self Portrait No. 1).
Although their paintings often have some sense of depth, the _______________
_____________ did not attempt to create the illusion of deep space and fully rounded
forms (Rivers' Drug Store and Espinoza's Gran Ofrenda de los Pajaros).
______________- ____________ painters reduced their works to subtle and sensitive
saturations of intense color, with no figural references (Paul Jenkins' Phenomena Chinese
Calendar). These artists sought to exercise greater control and to create a cool, serene
and relatively placid new aesthetic.
The term _________________ is used to describe a kind of art that aims to reduce
painting and sculpture to its essentials (Freed's Encasement and River's Drugstore).
Douglass Freed also makes use of "_____________ canvases."
_____________ art is short for optical art. These works are always abstract, connected
with the notion of optical illusions, and their static, two-dimensional surfaces are
intended to create the illusion of __________________ (Vasarely's Uzok).
In its broad sweeps of pigment, Larry Rivers' Drugstore is related to the
________________ __________________ aesthetic; however, through the incorporation of
the brand name "KODAK" seen in reverse, the work is related to __________ Art.
In Romare Bearden's Firebirds, bold, flat areas of color create a ______________ effect
that recalls _____________ _______________.
STUDY GUIDE answers
MODERN
The roots of the modern period are generally traced to the late _____________century.
nineteenth
Modern art is characterized by a plethora of competing styles and methods, by
countless "________" and schisms.
"isms"
Such diversity in styles in modern art is also a consequence of the underlying
_____________of modern life.
relativism
The term __________________ has come to mean the portrayal of the American scene,
consisting especially of rural views that recall the traditionalism and picturesqueness of
American life. Originating in the 1930s, the movement believed in the superiority of
"__________________" over "_____________________" art. They believed that art should
be accessible to the public in style and subject, and that this was best achieved through
the depiction of _____________________, ____________________ forms (Benton 's
Portrait of a Musician).
regionalism
representational - abstract
recognizable - naturalistic
The _________ represented bodies from several viewpoints simultaneously (Kerkam's
Self Portrait No. 1).
Cubists
Although their paintings often have some sense of depth, the _______________
_____________ did not attempt to create the illusion of deep space and fully rounded
forms (Rivers' Drug Store and Espinoza's Gran Ofrenda de los Pajaros).
Abstract Expressionists
______________- ____________ painters reduced their works to subtle and sensitive
saturations of intense color, with no figural references (Paul Jenkins' Phenomena Chinese
Calendar). These artists sought to exercise greater control and to create a cool, serene
and relatively placid new aesthetic.
Color-field
The term _________________ is used to describe a kind of art that aims to reduce
painting and sculpture to its essentials (Freed's Encasement and River's Drugstore).
Minimalism
Douglass Freed also makes use of "_____________ canvases."
"shaped"
_____________ art is short for optical art. These works are always abstract, connected
with the notion of optical illusions, and their static, two-dimensional surfaces are
intended to create the illusion of __________________ (Vasarely's Uzok).
Op
movement
In its broad sweeps of pigment, Larry Rivers' Drugstore is related to the
________________ __________________ aesthetic; however, through the incorporation of
the brand name "KODAK" seen in reverse, the work is related to __________ Art.
Abstract Expressionist
Pop
In Romare Bearden's Firebirds, bold, flat areas of color create a ______________ effect
that recalls _____________ _______________.
collage
African cloth
STUDY GUIDE
CONTEMPORARY
The term ______________-________________ has been used to describe the style of much
contemporary art and this style has been characterized by techniques of appropriation,
the use of ready-made images without regard for traditional artistic values of unique
authorship and originality. Sometimes, appropriation is expressed by a return to more
traditional styles and methods (Ligere's Dido, for example). Sometimes well-known
images are appropriated and combined to create unexpected contexts (Blahd's work).
The painting, ____________ ____ ____________, by Ligare attests to the continuing
relevance of classicism for contemporary art. The story comes from the writings of
Virgil's ___________.
__________________ _______________ is the foremost glass artist in the United States.
His creations are imaginative and characterized by vibrant _______________ and
beautiful _______________ shapes.
The term _______________________ has come to mean the portrayal of the American
scene, consisting especially of rural views that recall the traditionalism and
picturesqueness of American life. Originating in the 1930's, the movement believed in
the superiority of "________________" over "______________________" art. They
believed that art should be accessible to the public in style and subject, and that this was
best achieved through the depiction of ____________________,
__________________________ forms (Benton's Portrait of a Musician).
STUDY GUIDE answers
CONTEMPORARY
The term ______________-________________ has been used to describe the style of much
contemporary art and this style has been characterized by techniques of appropriation,
the use of ready-made images without regard for traditional artistic values of unique
authorship and originality. Sometimes, appropriation is expressed by a return to more
traditional styles and methods (Ligere's Dido, for example). Sometimes well-known
images are appropriated and combined to create unexpected contexts (Blahd's work).
Post-modern
The painting, ____________ ____ ____________, by Ligare attests to the continuing
relevance of classicism for contemporary art. The story comes from the writings of
Virgil's ___________.
Dido in Resolve
Aeneid
The term _______________________ has come to mean the portrayal of the American
scene, consisting especially of rural views that recall the traditionalism and
picturesqueness of American life. Originating in the 1930's, the movement believed in
the superiority of "________________" over "______________________" art. They
believed that art should be accessible to the public in style and subject, and that this was
best achieved through the depiction of ____________________,
__________________________ forms (Benton's Portrait of a Musician).
regionalism
representational - abstract
recognizable - naturalistic
__________________ _______________ is the foremost glass artist in the United States.
His creations are imaginative and characterized by vibrant _______________ and
beautiful _______________ shapes.
Dale Chihuly
color
organic
STUDY GUIDE
AFRICA
Africa is an enormous continent, encompassing more than ________________of the
world's population and some __________distinct cultures.
African art is interwoven with daily life in ways quite different from
_______________art.
Most objects that we [the Western mind] identify as African art were not made to sit on
pedestals or to be placed in display cases in museums, but were created to function in a
variety of cultural contexts associated with _____________________, _________________
and ____________________ institutions.
With few past _______________ ______________, the varying cultures and customs of
many racial and linguistic groups present a picture not easily comprehended.
The African _________ may represent any number of significant elements within the
traditions of tribal life, including ancestors, spirits and cultural heroes.
___________________ _______________________ acts as intermediary and facilitates
communication between people and supernatural forces and beings.
African art, especially objects of ____________ _________, were also made to indicate the
wealth and the social status of its owner.
African sculpture is usually made of ________________________ and other organic
materials that rarely survive long in a tropical environment.
STUDY GUIDE answers
AFRICA
Africa is an enormous continent, encompassing more than ________________of the
world's population and some __________distinct cultures.
one-tenth
900
African art is interwoven with daily life in ways quite different from
_______________art.
Western
Most objects that we [the Western mind] identify as African art were not made to sit on
pedestals or to be placed in display cases in museums, but were created to function in a
variety of cultural contexts associated with _____________________, _________________
and ____________________ institutions.
religious
economic
political
With few past _______________ ______________, the varying cultures and customs of
many racial and linguistic groups present a picture not easily comprehended.
written records
The African _________ may represent any number of significant elements within the
traditions of tribal life, including ancestors, spirits and cultural heroes.
mask
___________________ _______________________ acts as intermediary and facilitates
communication between people and supernatural forces and beings.
Figurative sculpture
African art, especially objects of ____________ _________, were also made to indicate the
wealth and the social status of its owner.
daily use
African sculpture is usually made of ________________________ and other organic
materials that rarely survive long in a tropical environment.
wood
STUDY GUIDE 2 - 2005
PreColumbian
What three technological innovations were unknown in the Pre-Columbian world?
Since the potter's wheel was unknown to PreColumbian artists, describe the methods of
making pottery vessels.
Animals were frequently rendered in PreColumbian art. Which animal (or class of
animals) particularly recurs throughout many New World cultures?
List at least five ways that PreColumbian peoples "ornamented" the human body.
Name two stones that were highly valued by most Meso- and South American high
cultures. Why were they important?
Which PreColumbian culture had a fully developed system of writing? In what other
areas did this culture excel?
Many PreColumbian cultures shared religious beliefs that required ritual human blood
letting and human sacrifice. Why were such practices deemed necessary? (see
information at end) List several items in the exhibition that may have connections with
these practices.
Describe a common method of burial in many Peruvian cultures.
With regard to metalwork, what is "tumbaga"?
What was the significance of the dog in West Mexican burial customs, and why was the
dog typically depicted as being fat?
Identify the general geographic areas where the following cultures were centered:
Maya
Aztec
Inca
According to Aztec mythology humans were created from a mixture of bonemeal and
blood of certain gods who sacrificed themselves. "This Genesis left both the gods
incomplete, and humans with some god-like properties, establishing human
responsibility for the maintenance of the universe. Without men, the power of the gods
wanes until they cannot renew the annual cycle of fertility on earth. The sun, the moon,
and the gods of vegetation and animal life all need annual rejuvenation by draughts of
human blood. Without human sacrifices the earth's fruits wither and men perish, so
that the continuation of the universe hangs upon the payment of the blood debt. By this
cylical conception of the exchanges of vitality, with the gods renewing the cycle of plant
and animal growth to feed humans, and the gods feeding on human blood, the ritual of
human sacrifice was justified to its devotees."*
It may be that other earlier cultures had similar religious beliefs and this could explain
the blood sacrifices carried out by other peoples as well.
*From George Kubler, The Art and Architecture of Ancient America (1990) p. 92.
STUDY GUIDE answers
PreColumbian
What three technological innovations were unknown in the Pre-Columbian world?
1. the wheel as a useful tool (other than for toys)
2. the existence of draft animals (horse, ox, cow)
3. the use of metal tools
Since the potter's wheel was unknown to PreColumbian artists, describe the methods of
making pottery vessels.
building-up by hand using the coil method, pinching and modelling,
using molds
Animals were frequently rendered in PreColumbian art. Which animal (or class of
animals) particularly recurs throughout many New World cultures?
"feline" family: jaguar, cougar (also known as a puma or mountain lion)
List at least five ways that PreColumbian peoples "ornamented" the human body.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
tattooing
scarification
teeth filing
body painting
deformation of the head
insertion of ear flares
Name two stones that were highly valued by most Meso- and South American high
cultures. Why were they important?
1. Obsidian - when chipped, it yields an extremely sharp cutting edge and
therefore was much valued and traded for knives and cutting tools
2. jade (or green stones) - believed to have magical properties and much
used for jewelry and amulets
Which PreColumbian culture had a fully developed system of writing? In what other
areas did this culture excel?
the Maya
mathematics, astronomy, architecture, calendrical systems
Many PreColumbian cultures shared religious beliefs that required ritual human blood
letting and human sacrifice. Why were such practices deemed necessary? (see attached
sheet) List several items in the exhibition that may have connections with these
practices.
The gods required human blood and sacrifices in order to ensure the
continuation of the cyclical order of nature, i.e. the regeneration of
vegetation and fertility; the movements of the sun, moon, and stars; lifenourishing rainfall
1.
2.
3.
4.
Aztec knife (69.2) and photo of Toltec "chacmool" sculpture
Maya incense burner (82.434)
Vera Cruz figure impersonating Xipe Tote (70.18)
Vera Cruz "laughing boy" (61.54.12)
Describe a common method of burial in many Peruvian cultures.
The deceased person was placed in a contracted, crouching position,
wrapped in textiles with false head or mask positioned atop the bundle.
The arid conditions of Peru's coasts have naturally preserved the bodies
and the organic materials placed into the burials. The bodies were
mummified by natural conditions, not by any purposeful treatment of the
bodies.
With regard to metalwork, what is "tumbaga"?
"Tumbaga" is a gold and copper alloy used by Peruvian artists. By
various methods, one using acidic plant juice, articles made from this alloy
were "enriched" where some of the copper was leached away leaving a
more pure gold coating on the surface.
What was the significance of the dog in West Mexican burial customs, and why was the
dog typically depicted as being fat?
1. a guide in the afterlife
2. food for the afterlife (People actually ate doge in real life so it follows
that they would do so in the next life too.)
Identify the general geographic areas where the following cultures were centered:
Maya - Yucatan
Aztec - Central Mexico
Inca - Peru