Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Themes of AP Art History
Themes of AP Art History
Western Tradition
and
Non-Western Tradition
Power and Authority,
art (including architecture) that conveys
this concept
10-27: Portrait of Augustus as general, from Primaporta, Italy, copy of a bronze original of
ca. 20 BCE. Marble, 6' 8" high. Vatican Museums, Rome.
Idealized view of the Roman emperor, no individualized approach
Contrapposto, cf. Spear Bearer
Confusion between God and man intentional
On his breastplate there are a number of gods participating in the return of
Roman standards from the Parthians
Breastplate indicates he is a warrior; judge's robes show him as a civic ruler
Back not carved, to be placed against a wall
Characteristic of Augustus is the part in the hair over the left eye, and two locks over the right
May have carried a sword, pointing down, in his left hand
Right hand in Roman orator pose, perhaps held laurel branches
At base: Cupid on the back of a dolphin-a reference of Augustus's divine descent from Venus
Ivory Belt Mask, c. 1550, ivory, iron, Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York
Worn by the king or "Oba" Esigie, King of the Benin, as belt>-buckle
May have been made to honor King's mother, Idia, at a
commemorative ceremony
Around the crown are stylized Portuguese heads alternating with
mudfish. Mudfish represent royalty because they" both land and sea,
as a king is both human and divine. '
On bottom: more stylized Portuguese heads
Human Form in Art,
works that exemplify the idea of beauty
Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1485, tempera on panel, Uffizi, Florence
Venus emerges fully grown from the foam of the sea; faraway look in her eyes
Roses scattered before her; roses created at the same time as
Venus, symbolizing that love can be painful
Left: zephyr (west wind) and chloris (nymph)
Right: handmaiden rushes to clothe her
Figures float, not anchored to the ground
Crisply drawn figures
Landscape flat and unrealistic, simple V-shaped waves
A Medici commission
28-12: SUZUKI HARUNOBU, Evening Bell at the Clock, from Eight
Views of the Parlor series, Japan, Edo period, ca. 1765. Woodblock
print, 11 1/4" x 8 1/2". Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
Refined views of middle-class women in daily pursuits; women are
characteristically delicate: small feet and hands, shrouded in billowing
drapery ,Strong diagonal compositions. Ukiyo-e (floating world)
Narrative Art,
how the work is adapted to emphasize
the function or symbolism of the
narrative
19-9: GIOTTO DI BONDONE, Lamentation, Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy, ca. 1305. Fresco, 6'
6 3/4" x 6' 3/4".
Arena Chapel built by Enrico Scrovegni to expiate the sin of usury through which his father had
amassed a fortune; some narrative scenes chosen for the chapel illustrate Biblical episodes of
ill-gotten gains
Lamentation: Shallow stage, figures occupy a palpable space pushed forward toward the picture
plane
Diagonal cliff formation points to main action daringly placed in lower left-hand corner
Modeling indicates direction of light, light falls from above right
Range of emotions: heavy sadness, quiet resignation, flaming outbursts, despair
Figures seen from the back seem to isolate the main action
Sadness of scene emphasized by grieving angels, barrenness of tree
8-17: Detail of The Burning of the Sanjo Palace, Kamakura period,
thirteenth century. Handscroll, ink and colors on paper, 1' 4 1/4" high;
complete scroll, 22' 10" long. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Painted 200 years after the civil war depicted in the scene
Look down from above onto the scene
Strong diagonals emphasizing movement and action
Swift active brushstrokes
Narrative read from right to left as the scroll was unrolled
Depersonalized figures, many with only one stroke for the eyes, ears,
and mouth
Tangled mass of forms accentuated by Japanese armor
Lone archer leads the escape from the burning palace with the
Japanese commander behind him
Human Experience,
how the art represents or describes
human interaction with nature or the
perception of nature
violence/rituals/propaganda/social
classes
30-22: JOHN CONSTABLE, The Haywain, 1821. Oil on canvas, 4' 3" x
6' 2". National Gallery, London.
Landscape Painting in England
Because of its severe effects on the countryside, the Industrial Revolution had an
impact on the evolution of Romantic landscape painting in England.