NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 1 of 17
Assessment Schedule – 2012
Art History: Describe the meaning of iconographic motifs (90491)
Evidence Statement
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
The meanings conveyed through a range of
iconographic motifs in art works are described.
The ways in which iconographic motifs are used to
convey meaning are explained.
The importance of iconography in conveying
meaning in art is evaluated.
• Provides direct responses to the specific
requirements of the question.
As for Achievement, plus:
As for Achievement with Merit, plus:
• Uses appropriate art historical language to explain
the meanings conveyed by iconographic motifs in
two appropriate art works.
• Discusses and evaluates the significance and / or
effectiveness of the iconography in conveying
meaning in art in a response which is directed
towards the requirements of the question.
• Identifies and describes three appropriate named
iconographic motifs in two appropriately selected art
works, at least one appropriate motif in each art
work.
• Demonstrates the ability to understand meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in art works.
• Uses appropriate art historical language to describe
meanings of the iconographic motifs, which are
relevant to the selected art works.
• Explains links between meanings conveyed by
individual motifs and the overall meaning or content
of an art work.
• Uses sufficient relevant information to clarify
descriptions of the meanings of iconographic motifs.
• Explains how the iconographic motifs give meaning
to the selected art works.
• Provides perceptive and comprehensive discussions
of the iconographic meanings of appropriate art
works.
• Demonstrates broad and comprehensive
understanding of art content and context by relating
the iconography to appropriate contextual information
and evidence.
• Evaluates the importance of iconography in relation
to other factors such as styles, theory or media.
• Demonstrates insight and understanding of the role
of iconography in the specified period or art
movement.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 2 of 17
Fourteenth-century Italian Painting
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question One
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in Simone
Martini's Altarpiece of St. Louis of Toulouse and
one other appropriate fourteenth-century
altarpanel, eg:
• St Louis wears a mitre, which identifies him as
bishop, and he sits on a throne to show that he is a
ruler.
• In Pietro Lorenzetti’s depiction of Mary Magdalene
in The Madonna and Child with Saints St Mary
Magdalene is easily identified by her long red hair
and red robes.
• His brother Robert the Wise is kneeling.
• The inclusion of the Fleur de Lys motif.
The candidate has explained how the
iconographic motifs are used to convey
meaning about the saint in each of the
two altar-panels, eg:
St Mary Magdalene was famous as the
reformed prostitute who gave up sinning
and became a follower of Jesus. This is
conveyed by her long flowing hair, symbolic
of prostitutes, and her red gown, which
conveys the idea that she is a scarlet
woman. She also holds a jar to remind us
that she washed the feet of Jesus.
St Louis is shown as a powerful religious
leader in the act of blessing the kneeling
figure at his side, who is his brother, the
king. This iconography links spiritual and
earthly power, and shows that religious
rulers like Bishops have more power than
kings.
The candidate has evaluated the role of iconography in
encouraging the veneration of saints in fourteenth-century Italy,
eg:
Iconography was an important part of religious art in this period. It
was used to identify saints and to indicate the saint's particular
virtues and how they were a role model.
Mary Magdalene is depicted alongside the Virgin Mary and the
contrast established by their blue and red conventional iconography
vividly reminds the viewer of the contrasting role models presented
by the two Marys. Although all women were encouraged to model
their lives on the perfect life of the Virgin Mary, for many this was an
impossible ideal. This made the role of Mary Magdalene, as the
redeemed sinner, very important, and led to her inclusion in many
religious paintings.
Conventional iconography, which paired Mary Magdalene with the
Virgin Mary, was effective in encouraging women to seek
redemption, which encouraged the veneration of saints.
OR: Question Two
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate fourteenth-century paintings that
contain landscape-related iconography, eg:
The candidate has explained how the
iconographic motifs are used to convey
ideas the meaning of the motifs in each
of the two paintings, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the importance of landscaperelated iconography in conveying ideas about human behaviour
in fourteenth-century Italy, eg:
In Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good
Government:
Lorenzetti's landscape uses iconographic
motifs to convey a sense of the peace and
prosperity, which can be experienced under
a good government. The expansive
landscape is full of the everyday activities
that lead to good harvests and prosperity.
• Farmers working in the fields show everyday
agricultural activities, which are part of country life.
• Vineyards can be seen in the hills and symbolise
abundance and harvests.
Giotto uses landscape related iconography in his
The Lamentation:
• A tree on the right hand side has no leaves. This
Giotto uses a bare landscape to symbolise
the emptiness of the world because Jesus
has been crucified. It is the bleakness of life
Lorenzetti's fresco series in the Room of the Nine was extremely
didactic, designed with the purpose of providing the council with
visual evidence of the possible outcomes of their government. The
benefits of good government were shown in the depictions of
dancing, farm work, conversation etc, which filled the landscape and
cityscape in Lorenzetti's depiction of Siena – a city that is ruled over
by statesmen who place the good of their citizens above personal
gain and greed.
Giotto's landscape is a big contrast to Lorenzetti's because it
symbolises something very different – the lack of hope and
emptiness of a world where God is dead. This was a very important
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 3 of 17
means that it is winter and life has left it like life
has left Jesus.
• The art work has an outdoor setting
without hope.
idea and Giotto's imagery was intended to influence human
behaviour to encourage belief in Jesus' death and resurrection.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 4 of 17
Fifteenth-century Italian Painting
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by aspects of the setting in two
appropriate paintings by Piero della Francesca, eg:
The candidate has explained how these motifs are
used to convey meaning in the two paintings, eg:
Achievement with Excellence
Question Three
In Piero della Francesca’s The Resurrection:
• Both dead trees and living trees can be seen in the
painting – the dead trees symbolise the death of
Jesus while the living trees symbolise the renewed
life of Jesus' resurrection.
In Piero della Francesca’s The Baptism:
Both The Resurrection and The Baptism use setting
to convey important qualities about the holy figure
(Jesus) in each narrative. Jesus brings new life with
his resurrection and this is seen in the way Piero has
depicted the light of dawn on the horizon and a new
day. In The Baptism, the landscape setting
symbolises the order and beauty of the Christian life
centred on the figure of Jesus.
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of
Piero della Francesca's use of setting to convey
spiritual meanings in his paintings, eg:
Piero’s iconography is very convincing as it conveys
meaning not only in motifs and the figures but also in
the space the figures occupy, extending the power of
the story to the contemporary world. Nature and
geometry are used effectively to convey complex
spiritual ideas about Jesus' resurrection from the dead,
and his offer of salvation to the world through the rituals
of baptism and communion.
• Jesus stands in a stream that represents the river
Jordan and symbolises the spiritual life Jesus
brought to the world.
OR Question Four
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings of
iconographic motifs used to convey dramatic and /
or miraculous events in two paintings by
Masaccio, eg:
The candidate has explained how these motifs
have been used to convey dramatic and / or
miraculous meanings in each painting, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of
iconography in portraying dramatic and / or
miraculous meanings in Masaccio's painting, eg:
Peter is seen to have an important role in the miracle
that is taking place, because he is in the centre of the
painting striding forward as his shadow falls across the
cripples around him. Various cripples are seen in the
act of straightening up.
The increasing popularity of naturalism and humanism
presented artists with challenges in depicting
miraculous events. In both of these works, Masaccio
has been very effective in conveying a sense of the
miraculous while following the new Albertian principles
of art. Mathematical perspective and foreshortening has
been used effectively in each work to dramatise the
event. In The Trinity, the use of perspective effectively
locks the viewer into the structure and meaning of the
painting. In St Peter healing with his Shadow, the
dramatically foreshortened figure impresses the viewer
with his power and strength.
(The motifs of the trinity) in Masaccio’s The Trinity:
• A strongly foreshortened white dove symbolises the
Holy Ghost.
• The familiar figure of Jesus on the cross signifies his
role in the Trinity.
In Masaccio’s St Peter Healing With His Shadow:
• St Peter is instantly recognised because of his
traditional iconography – the grey beard, worried
expression, and flowing robes.
The miracle of the Trinity is conveyed by the close
positioning of the three persons of the Trinity (God the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost) on top of one
another to show that they are “three persons in one”.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 5 of 17
Italian Renaissance Sculpture
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Five
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings of
iconographic motifs used to convey meaning in
two appropriate sculptures of the Virgin Mary by
Michelangelo, eg:
The candidate has explained how these motifs
have been used to convey meaning in the two
sculptures, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of
iconography in exploring ideas about the Virgin
Mary, eg:
In Michelangelo’s Madonna of the Stairs and his
early Pietà (in St Peter’s Basilica, Rome), iconography
is used to convey ideas about the person and power of
Mary and as an antecedor for the people.
In Condivi’s biography of Michelangelo, he recalls a
conversation with Michelangelo about the incredible
youthfulness of Mary in his Pietà, who appears almost
the same age as her son. Michelangelo was reported
to have said that Mary looks and stays young because
of her purity. Michelangelo's use of this youthful
iconography is an effective way of showing the Virgin
Mary's divinity and purity – her divine character is
expressed in her physical form and the
monumentalism of her size.
In Michelangelo’s Madonna of the Stairs:
• Jesus is shown as a human baby nursing at his
mother's breast.
• Mary nurses and cares for her baby to show her
nurturing qualities.
In Michelangelo’s Pietà:
• Mary is shown cradling the body of her dead adult
son – his motif conveys sadness and grief.
In Madonna of the Stairs, she is not only a nursing
mother but she is seated at the bottom of stairs, which
represent the stairway to heaven, suggesting she is
the one to help show the way. In the Pietà, she is
presented as young, beautiful, and perfect in the
idealisation of her features, which are smooth and
serene and her gestures that seem strong, graceful,
and protective.
OR Question Six
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate Italian Renaissance sculptures of
heroic figures, eg:
The candidate has explained how motifs have
been used to portray the strength of character in
each of the sculptures, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of
iconography in conveying strong heroic
characters, eg:
Abraham dominates Ghiberti's relief, and his strong
pose and steadfast expression shows that he is a
strong man who can control his emotions in dreadful
circumstances.
In Ghiberti’s competition panel for the Florentine
Baptistery doors, Sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham’s facial
expression and strong gestures represent
determination in being obedient to God. Isaac, in
contrast, is portrayed as classically muscular, youthful
and vulnerable in his nakedness. Both figures
demonstrate heroic qualities – Abraham's self sacrifice
and Isaac's calm acceptance of his fate. The contrast
in iconography between the figures is extremely
effective and emphasises the potentially tragic event
that is saved dramatically by the intervention of the
angel above the two figures.
In (Lorenzo) Ghiberti's Sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham
stands with his fist raised up, about to sacrifice his
son, which shows how strong and devout he is.
In Donatello’s Gattamelata, the pose and gestures of
the figure show bravery and importance. The figure
sits with a straight back on a large regal horse.
There is a sense of tension in the upright pose of
Gattemelata and power in the way he controls the
large horse, which stands still while his mouth is open
and nostrils flair, as if they are parading or preparing
for action.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 6 of 17
High Renaissance and the Development of Mannerism
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Seven
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings of
iconographic motifs and / or devices used to
convey spiritual meanings in two appropriate
art works by Leonardo da Vinci, eg:
The candidate has explained how iconographic
motifs and / or devices have been used to
convey spiritual meanings in each art work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of Leonardo
da Vinci’s use iconography to convey spiritual meanings
in his art, eg:
Leonardo's cartoon is about the spiritual role of the
Virgin Mary and that she was human, born of a
human mother, yet she became the mother of
Jesus who was the son of God. The entwined
figures of this composition symbolise this union of
human and divine.
By the end of the fifteenth-century, the growing preference for
naturalism had reduced the overt symbolism of religious art.
This is apparent in the naturalistic poses and lack of hieratic
symbolism in these two art works. The figures, including that of
the angel, are depicted in rounded, generally naturalistic forms
and their gestures are shown as natural expressions rather
than the stylised gestures of the fourteenth century. Haloes
have been used in The Annunciation but the heads have
been left bare in the cartoon.
In Leonardo Da Vinci’s Madonna and Child with
St Anne and John the Baptist:
• The baby Jesus on his mother's knee has his
hand raised in a blessing gesture.
• St Anne's index figure is raised in a gesture
meaning the one way to truth.
In Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Annunciation:
• An angel kneels on the left. An angel is a
messenger from heaven and symbolises links
between heaven and earth.
In the painting of The Annunciation, the Angel
conveys to Mary that she will be the mother of
Jesus. This shows the link between heaven and
earth that is part of the story of the Virgin Mary.
Mary is shown sitting reading a religious book to
symbolise her spiritual purity.
Question Eight
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings of
iconographic motifs used to convey meaning
in two appropriate High Renaissance portraits
of a pope, eg:
The candidate has explained how iconographic
motifs have been used to convey meanings
about personality and power in each portrait,
eg:
The candidate has evaluated the extent to which the
iconography used in portraits of popes was effective in
conveying a sense of the importance of the pope in the
Roman Catholic church, eg:
In Raphael’s portrait of Pope Leo X:
Raphael's portrait of Pope Leo X is revealing
because it shows his love of wealth in the
expensive fur-lined vestments the Pope wears and
the objects on the table. The painting also exposes
his relationships with the young cardinals who stand
on either side of him.
These are state portraits of popes intended for public display as
a sign of papal rule and the allegiance of the owners of the
works. In both works, Raphael has been extremely successful
in conveying the importance of both the role of the pope and
the powerful personalities of these individuals. Pope Leo X is
shown in a quiet, private setting rather than in a major religious
setting. However, the importance of the papal role is clearly
signified by the bulk of the Pope and the emphasis on his rich
red robes, which add to his bulk and contribute to the image of
a wealthy leader. His hand resting on top of the Bible clearly
indicates his control over the word of God. Although Raphael
used different signifiers in his portrait of Julius II, the power and
importance of the Pope remains visible in the strong, but simple
• The Pope is seated at a table with a book,
which indicated his role as a scholarly Pope
who spent a lot of time at his desk.
• Both objects on the table are very valuable and
show that the Pope was very rich.
In Raphael's Pope Julius:
• Julius is shown on his own, seated in a papal
throne, which is decorated with acorns to
symbolise the della Rovere family that Julius
belongs to.
Julius also wears expensive clothes and his bulk
fills the composition and indicates his power and
importance. Julius is depicted as lost in thought,
and his restrained, fairway gaze gives the viewer a
sense of the lonely life someone in power can have.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 7 of 17
composition, which conveys Julius' simple-mindedness and
autocratic rule as he sits on his throne, in isolation.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 8 of 17
Venetian Painting
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Nine
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in Giorgione’s
The Three Philosophers and one other Venetian
allegory, eg:
The candidate has explained how iconographic
motifs have been used to convey meaning
about everyday life in each painting, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the significance of this
iconography in conveying meaning about everyday
life in each painting, eg:
The three men in Giorgione's painting convey
meaning about the ordinariness of life because all
people go through those three stages of man and
as they do, their understanding of themselves and
life changes.
These two very different paintings clearly relate to the rich,
varied world of Venice. Both paintings use the landscape
of mainland Italy to provide peaceful, pleasant settings,
which suggest the pastoral utopia, modelled on the
classical Parnassus that many rich Venetians were trying
to emulate by building villas and gardens in their country
estates.
In Giorgione’s The Three Philosophers:
• The three male figures represent the different ages
of man – youth, maturity, and old age.
• Two of the men hold papers or notebooks, which
symbolise studying, thinking or wisdom.
In Titian’s Venus and Cupid with a Dog and a
Partridge:
In this work a naked Venus reclines on rich velvet
drapes in an everyday setting of a rich room. Venus is
awake and shares a meaningful gaze with Cupid who
is positioned behind her shoulder to convey meanings
about love and sensuality.
Titian's painting deals with another sort of
everyday life, the life of luxury and pleasure, which
was enjoyed by the rich who filled their lives with
material things to pass the time.
Although both paintings appear to be about the wonderful
rich world of Venice, each artist uses iconography to
remind viewers that their time on earth was short. This is
the key message behind the motif of Three Ages of Man
and Titian is effectively reminding Venetians that they
should not get so caught up with everyday life that they
ignore the philosophical or spiritual side of life.
OR Question Ten
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate Venetian sacra conversazione, eg:
The candidate has explained how iconographic
motifs have been used to convey meaning in
each painting, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the significance of this
iconography in conveying important religious ideas in
Venice in this period, eg:
In Giovanni Bellini’s Frari Triptych:
In the Frari Triptych altar panel, the two saints on
either side of the enthroned Madonna, are turned
towards the centre of the panel so that there looks
like some interaction between the figures.
The sacra conversazione motif became increasingly
popular in Venetian art in the late fifteenth and sixteenthcenturies. The idea that several divine and saintly figures
from different times and places could be brought together
in the one painted time and place appealed to the concept
of the eternal nature of Christianity.
• An enthroned Madonna, holding the baby Jesus sits
in the centre of the altarpiece; this represents the
Virgin Mary in two of her roles as the Queen of
Heaven and Mother of God.
• Two saints stand on either side of the Virgin Mary,
including St Peter on the right who was the founder
of the Catholic Church.
In Gorgione’s Castelfranco:
• The Virgin Mary sits on a throne holding the baby
Jesus in the centre of the painting; her elevated
The figures in Giorgione's work do not seem to be
actively interacting, but the gesture of St Francis,
on the right, communicates with the viewer and
involves the viewer in the conversation that has
been set up.
The knight in armour in Giorgione's painting relates to the
patrons membership of The Knights of Rhodes, which
means that the iconography of the painting links the
painting to the patron and so brings him into the eternal
conversation or communion of saints that is symbolised by
the sacra conversazione. This iconographical link between
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 9 of 17
position shows that she is more important than the
other figures in this painting.
the divine figure of Jesus and saints and the everyday
world was extremely effective in making Venetian
worshippers feel involved in the Christian communion of
saints.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 10 of 17
Northern Renaissance Art
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Eleven
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate Northern Renaissance paintings
that depict Judgement Day or Hell, eg:
The candidate has explained how
iconographic motifs have been used to
convey meaning in each painting, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the extent to which this
iconography conveyed a convincing sense of life after death
in this period, eg:
Bosch has painted a vision of Judgement
Day, which shows the trumpets that
Revelations said would sound and Jesus will
come in glory, to judge everyone. At the
same time, the devil will be unleashed to
punish those who have been evil as is seen
in the lower zone of the painting.
The imagery used by Bosch in his imaginative depictions of
heaven and earth was based on the widely held view that “during
the Middle Ages, sexuality and lust were seen as evidence of
man's fall from grace, and the most foul of the seven deadly sins.”
To the many religious fanatics in Europe at this time, the contrasts
between the saintly ideals of chastity and purity contrasted
markedly with the real world of prostituion and sexual excess.
These contrasts are depicted in many of Bosch's works, like The
Garden of Earthly Delights where the sensual enjoyment of this
work would have been effectively countered by the vivid depiction
of Hell to the right of the central panel. Bosch's depictions of hell
were certainly fantastic but it is possible to link some of his
imagined tortures with the Spanish Inquisition which was real.
These links increase the effectiveness of Bosch's imagery.
In Bosch’s Last Judgement (Vienna):
• At the top of the painting the artist has painted a
vision of heaven that shows Jesus sitting on a
throne, presiding over heaven and earth.
• At the bottom of the picture, monsters that
represent devils can be seen tormenting people.
In Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights
Triptych:
• The central panel symbolises earthly pleasures
with a lush green landscape and beautiful light
symbolising all that God gave to humans in the
Garden of Eden.
A vision of hell is on the right-hand side of
The Garden of Earthly Delights, and it
shows the punishments that await those who
get carried away with earthly pleasures and
ignore the fact that God sits in Heaven
watching everything.
OR Question Twelve
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by animal-related iconographic motifs
used to convey meaning wealth or status in two
appropriate Northern Renaissance art works,
eg:
The candidate has explained how animalrelated iconographic motifs have been
used to convey meaning in each art work,
eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of this
iconography in conveying allegorical meaning in Northern
Renaissance art, eg:
Rogier van der Weyden's Adoration of the Magi
contains many animals, including an ox and a
donkey, which are nearly always included in nativity
scenes because they were domestic scenes and
took place in stables where there are these animals.
Dürer uses his symbolism to show the
balance of the humours in paradise, and
uses other animals, like the parrot on its
perch and the cat waiting to pounce, to hint
at the big upset to come once Adam and Eve
bite the apple from the mouth of the snake.
Dürer's engraving of Adam and Eve contains many
animals to convey meaning, such as the four
humours that are symbolised by the elk
(melancholia), the ox (phlegmatic), rabbit
(sanguine), and the cat (choleric). The four humours
were balanced in paradise but not after the ‘fall’.
The birth of Jesus brought balance back to
earth and this is symbolised in nativity
scenes like Van der Weyden's Adoration of
the Magi, where the animals stand
peacefully in the background in a harmonious
symbolic picture of earthly harmony.
The meanings in both selected artworks are enhanced and
extended by the symbolic meanings conveyed by animal
iconography and become complex allegories about the human
condition.
On one level, the animals in Van der Weyden's nativity Adoration
of the Magi are simply there to set the scene of a stable, and
show how humble the birth of Jesus was. However, the allegorical
interpretation of these animal motifs leads to the humours, which
are being brought back into balance because of the birth of Jesus.
This is an effective link to the allegorical meanings associated with
the dilapidated stable that represents paganism. Dürer's painting
also deals effectively with the end of paganism, with its nude
figures and deeply layered allegorical meanings.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 11 of 17
Cubism and Abstraction
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Thirteen
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate cubist still-life paintings, eg:
The candidate has explained how
iconographic motifs have been used to
convey meaning in each painting, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the importance of the iconography
used to convey meaning about objects and surfaces in this
period, eg:
In Georges Braque’s Fruit Dish, Ace of Clubs:
In these two paintings, Braque has
incorporated typical still-life objects that
fascinated the cubists – musical
instruments, cards, sheet music, and fruit.
Although these objects are recognisable,
they are painted in a way that explores
multiple viewpoints and angles. In this
way, they convey meanings about
physical objects and conceptual ideas
about objects in space. They are both
physical and conceptual objects.
In Cubism the reality of the object was a secondary concern. Meaning
in Cubism was about the nature and processes of painting,
particularly the treatment of form and space and use of various
techniques such as collage. Braque and Gris both use their
iconography and cubist techniques to explore the physical and
conceptual aspects of painting as they explore representation and
visual truth about the nature of objects in space. The layered surfaces
of Cubism were important in exploring these concepts and making
them visible as well as emphasising the flatness of the painting
surface. Braque makes reference to himself in the ace of clubs as
well as to music, newspapers, and posters.
• The bowl of fruit conveys meaning about everyday
life and people doing ordinary things like eating.
• The playing card has lots of meanings – it is also
an everyday activity but it can also symbolise luck
or gambling.
In Georges Braque’s Violin and Pitcher:
• The pitcher, or jug, is an everyday object that
references everyday life, and may convey
additional meanings about water and sustenance.
• The violin that conveys the idea that music is a
form of human entertainment and provides a way
of enjoying yourself.
Iconography was critical to cubists because, without recognisable
elements and reference points the significance of objects and surface
planes would be missed.
OR Question Fourteen
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate art works by Léger that demonstrate
his enthusiasm for ‘the machine’, eg:
The candidate has explained how
iconographic motifs have been used to
convey meaning in each art work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of iconography in
conveying Léger's enthusiasm for ‘the machine’, eg:
In Fernand Léger’s The Card Players, Léger uses
tubular, metallic forms to make his people look like
robots or machines.
In his work, The Pilot, he has created geometric
circular forms to represent a propeller and aeroplane
In The Pilot, Léger has placed the pilot in
the middle of overlapping geometric
shapes of circles, cylinders, lines, and
squares representing an aeroplane and
perhaps a bird’s eye view of the city
below. In The Card Players, the
cylindrical forms of the figures make his
figures appear inhuman, this is
emphasised by the faceless figures and
the chaotic way they squeeze into the
composition.
Léger painted The Card Players when he was recovering from a
mustard gas attack in World War I. In this work, he has represented
the soldiers playing cards as more like machines with their shiny
robotic arms and indistinct faces, to convey the effects of war on
himself and his fellow soldiers. Like the Futurists, Léger saw beauty in
the everyday ‘machine age’, and he captures this sense of beauty in
The Pilot, with forms that create movement and have harmonious
colours. Léger's use of cubism differed from that of other cubists in
that he incorporated recognisable motifs. This made his works very
effective so that when the viewer looks at the broken figures of the
soldiers in the cardplayers, one senses the ground shaking noise and
power of the machines that had awed Léger in the trenches of World
War I, where he was “blinded by the shine of metal on metal”.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 12 of 17
Fauvism and Expressionism
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Fifteen
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings conveyed
by iconographic motifs in two appropriate art works
by the Die Brücke group, eg:
The candidate has explained how
iconographic motifs have been used to
convey meaning in each work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of this
iconography in conveying the ideas and aims of the Brücke
group, eg:
In Kirchner’s The Chronicle of the Brücke Group
(woodcut):
Kirchner's archaic imagery compares the
leading Die Brücke artists with saints to
identify them as artists with a mission to
change the world through their art.
Die Brücke s appropriation of Gothic style and traditional
Germanic methods like woodcuts was very effective in
expressing the strong patriotism and sense of destiny which set
Die Brücke apart from other groups of artists in early twentieth
century Europe.
• The composition is broken up into compartments, each
one framed by stylised patterns – these link to the
stylisation of medieval art and Germanic traditions.
• The iconic images of the Brücke members are in the
compartments so that they look like saints.
In Erich Heckel’s The Madmen:
• Mask-like faces stare out at the viewer to symbolise the
primitive, instinctive urges of human beings.
Heckel uses his tight composition and
acidic yellow colours to create a very
expressive and tense image. Two
windows, each with cruciform bars,
symbolise the isolation of the madmen,
trapped in the scary room.
There were close connections between Die Brücke and the
ideas of Nietzsche, the source of the group's name. Heckel has
created a very vivid image of the world of Nietzsche’s madman,
trapped in an urban world and weighed down by the pressures
of existence.
OR Question Sixteen
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings conveyed
by iconographic motifs in two appropriate Fauve or
Expressionist art works with Christian subjects, eg:
The candidate has explained how
iconographic motifs have been used to
convey meaning in each work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the extent to which Christian
iconography was successful in expressing ideas about
contemporary society in this period, eg:
In Emil Nolde’s The Last Supper:
Nolde shows the Last Supper as a closeknit gathering of friends who join together
and hug another as a sign of strength and
fellowship. The mask-like faces are
angular and tense and show the anguish
of the event.
By the early twentieth-century, Christian ideas were being
challenged by new spiritual concepts like theosophy. Christian
artists had to re-evaluate their Christianity in terms of new
philosophies and their experiences in war and overseas.
Although both artists adopted some of the conventional
iconography of their subjects, both adapted the motifs to
express ideas about contemporary society. Nolde's disciples
tightly surround Jesus in a protective circle, shielding him from
the modern world, which has forgotten his sacrifice.
• The central figure, with his eyes closed, represents
Jesus who is holding the cup of wine this is the first
communion and Jesus is telling people to drink his
blood.
• The figures who surround Jesus are the twelve
disciples who were at the Last Supper before Judas
identified himself.
In Karl Schmidt-Rottluff’s The Head of Christ (woodcut):
• Jesus can be recognised by the conventional
iconography of his long hair, parted in the middle; the
crown of thorns on his head; and the rays that surround
his head like a halo.
Schmidt-Rottluff has put the date 1918 on
the forehead of Jesus to make his image
relevant to the present day. Another motif
that does this is the eyelashes, which look
like barbed wire and link the image to the
trenches.
Schmidt-Rottluff's work is much more hard-hitting, with the face
of Jesus staring out of the page in a dark-eyed stare of pain and
blame, which reinforces the words “Christ did not appear to
you”. In art, this is one of the most effective comments on the
horrors of World War I and the bitterness of the German defeat.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 13 of 17
Dada and Surrealism
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Seventeen
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate surrealist art works which explore
religious and / or spiritual ideas, eg:
The candidate has explained how
iconographic motifs have been used to
convey meaning in each work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the extent to which surrealist
iconography was effective in exploring religious and / or
spiritual ideas in this period, eg:
The landscape and lighting in Dalí's painting
are similar to those used in his surrealist
paintings and its imagery conveys a visionary
quality to the painting.
Many people were critical of Dalí's painting because his earlier art
works and lifestyle were regarded as anti-Christian. Dalí explained
the inspiration for this painting "In the first place, in 1950, I had a
'cosmic dream' in which I saw this image in colour and which in my
dream represented the 'nucleus of the atom.” The effectiveness of
Dalí's iconography has come about because of the popularity of
this image with Christians today.
In Salvador Dalí’s Christ of Saint John of the
Cross:
• Jesus is shown as a nude male, hanging on a
cross, which seems to float in darkened space.
• The cross is high up above a landscape at the
bottom of the page, which symbolises the real
world on earth.
In Paul Klee’s House in the Full Moon:
Klee's imagined landscape presents a magical
view of an enchanted world in which things like
trees and mountains have been transformed
into fragments of colour like the stained glass
of a church.
• A large yellow circle represents a full moon,
which illuminates the nighttime landscape, and
turns it into a magical, spiritual world.
Klee shared Kandinsky's interests in the spirituality of the primitive
or instinctive life, however, according to Robert Hughes, Klee's
beliefs were intensified by a mysitic idea that the visible world was
a model of the order of the spiritual world, and Klee used mystical
works like House in the Full Moon to provide people with a
spiritual vision of that invisible order.
OR Question Eighteen
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate Dada art works, eg:
The candidate has explained how
iconographic motifs have been used to
convey meaning in each work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the extent to which the use of
iconography to convey meaning was important in Dada art,
eg:
In Marcel Duchamp's Fountain:
Although Duchamp was making a point about
conceptual art, the meaning of the urinal as a
urinal was used to convey meaning about the
significance of art and artists. The writing
about it was very important because it was like
the signature of an artist, which signified that it
was an art work.
Duchamp said he made an art work out of a urinal to show that
meaning wasn't important in art works but that in some ways the
work demonstrated the importance of the meaning or concept of
art works themselves. The choice of a urinal was very important in
drawing attention to the object and to the whole idea of what an
artwork is or should be and the questioning of how it should be
displayed, along with the absence of the artist’s hand. Dada was
art from the age of reproduction with the loss of originality. The
appropriated image of the Mona Lisa also demonstrates how
important meaning was to Dada artists The Mona Lisa is one of
the most well-known paintings in the world and instantly
recognisable to many people. The meaning achieved by this
recognition was important to Duchamp, along with the reasons
why he selected this art work.
• Duchamp used a men's urinal to make an art
work – Duchamp turned a normal thing into art
work.
• R. Mutt has been painted on the side to look like
an artist's signature.
In Marcel Duchamp's LHOOQ:
• The work is made of a postcard of the Mona
Lisa. This is a reproduction of an art work and it
is a picture of a very famous painting.
The image of the Mona Lisa conveys meaning
because it is a famous painting and it conveys
meaning about the traditions of western art,
which had dominated European art. The fact
that it is a postcard also conveys meaning
about art in the age of reproduction.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 14 of 17
Architecture: Modernism to Postmodernism
Achievement
Question Nineteen
Achievement with Merit
OR
The candidate has described the meanings The candidate has explained how the
about modern working practices in two
iconographic features have been used to
appropriate buildings, eg:
convey meaning about modern working
In Walter Gropius’ Fagus Shoe-Last Factory practices, eg:
in Alfeld/Leine, Germany:
• The clock above the entrance door outside
shows that time is important in this building.
• The straight lines and undecorated,
functional architecture mean big business.
In Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram
Building:
These two buildings are associated with
functionalist architecture, which was a feature of
the Modernist and the International Style.
Factionalist architects like Behrens and Van der
Rohe expressed the ideal order of the new
technological society in simple functionalist
buildings like these.
• Sleek efficient lines symbolise the efficiency
of corporate business.
OR Question Twenty
OR
Achievement with Excellence
OR
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of architectural
iconography in expressing ideas about modern working
practices, eg:
The workplace of the twentieth-century was governed by principles of
efficiency, team work, and systems. These principles were effectively
expressed in the architecture, which grew out of early German
modernism. Fagus Shoe-Last Factory was a very early expression
of this new ideology, with the large glazed areas to allow the
penetration of sunlight right into the factory floor. Anyone
approaching this building would be impressed by the apparent
solidity of the entrance façade with its large clock keeping perfect
time, informing the public that this was a business that ran on time
and like clockwork. The Seagram Building used its strong simple
shape to stand out in the New York skyline as an effective masthead
for Seagrams. The gridded pattern of the iron-skeleton and windows
was an effective link to the columns of an account book to signify the
importance of profits.
OR
The candidate has described the meanings The candidate has explained how these
conveyed by the iconographic features of
materials have been used to convey meaning
two appropriate Art Deco buildings, eg:
in each building, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the extent to which the iconography
used in Art Deco buildings was an important aspect of Art Deco
buildings, eg:
In William Van Alen’s Chrysler Building:
Ornament conveying meaning was very important to the Art Deco
style, which can be seen as a movement designed to counter the
functionalism of early modernism and the corporate uniformity of the
International Style.
• Spire, like the tail fin of a Chrysler motorcar.
• Shining metallic surfaces like the shiny
chrome trim on a car.
On The Empire State Building:
• Smooth, horizontal bands of windows and
cladding give the building a columnar
appearance.
The Chrysler Building had been commissioned
by the Chrysler Corporation as the flagship
building for this successful business. The
decorative spire, and other applied decorative
motifs like hubcaps emphasised the business of
the building's owner. The horizontal bands on the
Empire State Building look like the fluting on a
classical column. These classical associations
convey a sense of timelessness and permanence
to the building.
The Art Deco features of the two selected buildings were very
important to their designers and owners because these features made
these buildings stand out from the surrounding high-rise buildings.
Also important were the meanings about the buildings' owners, which
the iconography conveyed. Chrysler, in particular, used the features of
his building to advertise and promote his company.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 15 of 17
Modern American Art
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Twenty-one
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs that convey
meaning in two appropriate art works that refer
to American consumerism, eg:
The candidate has explained how
iconographic motifs have been used to convey
meaning about American consumerism in
each work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of
iconography in conveying meaning about the impact of
consumerism on American society, eg:
In Barbara Kruger’s Untitled I Shop Therefore I
Am:
Kruger's large scale, simple image conveys
meaning through its stylistic similarities to the
advertising posters of contemporary commercial
art. The red text box looks like a “sale” sign and
attracts the viewer's eye.
• The red rectangle looks like a credit card and
conveys meaning about shopping.
• The hand, which seems to hold the red card, is
clean and looks like a city person's hand, not the
hand of a hard worker.
In Richard Estes’ Ticket Lines:
• A busy city street is seen through a bus and
there is a line of people lining up to buy tickets
because they have money to spend.
In Estes' painting lots of well-known commercial
signs are seen through the window of the bus and
this creates a familiar world of shops and people
shopping.
Kruger's simple, but large-scale work, conveys much of its
meaning through the words which have been adapted from
Plato's original concept “I think therefore I am”. Kruger's use of
this term is an effective way of drawing attention to the popular
pastime of shopping and she asks us whether people today
get a greater sense of being alive from shopping rather than
thinking.
Estes' large photo-realist canvases are full of consumerist
iconography ranging from office buildings and shops and
advertising signs and queues of people. While Kruger’s
background leads her to use graphic designs to draw attention
to consumerism, Estes uses size and reflections to draw out
attention to the excesses of modern-day consumerism. Both
forms of iconography are equally effective.
OR Question Twenty-two
OR
OR
The candidate has described the meanings
conveyed by iconographic motifs in two
appropriate modern American portraits, eg:
The candidate has explained how the motifs
have been used to convey meaning about the
subjects of each portrait, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the extent to which the use
of iconography to convey meaning was a significant
aspect of portraiture in modern American art, eg:
In Audrey Flack’s Vanitas/Marilyn two images of
Marilyn Monroe are included in a painted collage of
objects. The picture of Marilyn could be a reflection
in a mirror of what the person looking in the mirror
wants to see. Other objects in the painting, like the
lipstick, are to do with female images.
Flack's portrait of Marilyn is subtitled Vanitas and
the objects in the painting form a still life of motifs.
Their meanings concern mortality, like the candle,
which represents a well-known motif about time
passing – the candle in the wind.
Flack has used her portraits of Marilyn to focus attention on
image and celebrity and the effects that these have on ordinary
people like herself, which are seen in the painted snapshot of a
brother and sister. This iconography was a significant part of
Flack's use of her art to explore social and feminist issues.
By repeating rows of images of Marilyn Monroe,
Warhol makes his viewers think about the
commodification of the celebrity's image and the
effects of its reproduction.
Portraiture made up a significant part of Warhol's practice,
especially his psychedelic screen-printed portraits of celebrities
like Mick Jagger or Mao Tse Tung. Sourced from readily
available publicity shots, the iconography of these images was
highly significant in Warhol's exploration of fame and celebrity
in his celebrity portraits.
In Andy Warhol’s A Shot of Marilyn Monroe
repeated images of Marilyn fill this canvas, stacked
up in rows to show she is a commodity
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 16 of 17
Modern New Zealand Art
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Question Twenty-Three
The candidate has described the
meanings conveyed by iconographic
motifs in two appropriate art works
by Michael Parekowhai, eg:
In Poorman, Beggarman, Thief,
Michael Parekowhai has used a
mannequin dressed in a smart suit to
give the figure a sense of dignity and
respect.
In My Sister, Myself, he uses
iconography in the shiny black seal,
which represented performing seals
who balance balls on their noses for our
entertainment.
The candidate has explained how iconographic
motifs have been used to convey meaning in
each art work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of Parekowhai's use
of humorous iconography to entertain and/or challenge social
issues, eg:
Although the Māori figure In Poorman,
Beggarman, Thief, is dressed in a smart suit with a
white shirt and tie, the meaning of the nametag,
which uses the slang word for Māori – Hori, shatters
the impression of dignity and respect. In My Sister,
Myself, Parekowhai creates humour by using aa
stool and a bike wheel instead of a ball because
this is not what we expect to see.
Poorman, Beggarman, Thief challenges stereotypes by the contrasting
way the figure is conservatively well dressed and the racist language
used on the name tag ‘Hori’. The viewer has to come close to read this
tag and the incongruity between the dapper appearance of the figure and
the nickname is at first amusing, then as the viewer examines his
reaction, it leads to discomfort.
In My Sister Myself, Parekowhai references Michel Duchamp’s stool
and bicycle wheel, but presents a ‘readymade’ of a different kind, which
is at first amusing but then makes us think about the relationships
between siblings and whether artists are performing seals.
A more recent example of the effectiveness of Parekowhai's use of
humourous iconography to entertain and challenge can be seen in his
exhibits at the Venice Biennale, On First Looking at Chapman's
Homer, where his proud, masculine bull on a grand piano raised
questions about the role of European culture in the wider world.
OR Twenty-Four
OR
OR
The candidate has described the
meanings conveyed by iconographic
motifs in two appropriate modern
New Zealand art works that explore
personal identity, eg:
The candidate has explained how iconographic
features have been used to convey meaning in
each work, eg:
The candidate has evaluated the effectiveness of iconography in
exploring personal identity, eg:
In his work On Another Man’s Land,
John Pule uses motifs such as islands
in the sea to represent the Pacific
Islands, which is where he came from.
In Rutu, Rita Angus has used motifs to
describe herself – such as the fish
representing her star sign Pisces.
In On Another Man’s Land, by John Pule, motifs
are used to represent journeys made from the
Pacific Islands to New Zealand, such as the birds
that guided sea travellers. This iconography
demonstrates the importance of the sea and boats
in the Pacific Island sense of identity. Another name
for Rutu is Pacific Goddess – Rita Angus has
created that idea by including a golden halo around
her head that could represent the sun or the
holiness of a goddess. The idea of the Pacific is
conveyed by other motifs in the painting.
These art works are biographical, with each artist using extensive
iconography, drawn from their personal experiences and broader cultural
backgrounds to produce effective statements about their sense of
personal identity. Pule has included his own history in this work by
including references to both cultures that form part of his identity – the
Niuean hiapo tapa cloth and the materials of western art history he has
used – oil on canvas. Rita Angus created this painting while she was
recovering from illness at her parent’s home in Waikanae. She explores
her personal spiritual identity showing her interest in religious imagery
such as the Lotus flower, while locating herself in a recognisable local
landscape.
NCEA Level 3 Art History (90491) 2012 — page 17 of 17
Judgement Statement
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
A
M
E