30-minute essay- due the first day we have class after break

The question: Cultures designate sacred space in a variety of ways to accommodate both religious beliefs and practices. Select and fully identify two examples of sacred spaces from different cultures, one of which must be from beyond the European tradition. Discuss how each space accommodates both religious beliefs and practices within its culture.

Hold onto the hard copy of this assignment that I gave you. AP prevents me from copying and pasting any materials, so I only have a hard copy for you. Therefore, I can't e-mail this to you if you misplace it.  Sorry :(

Medieval Art: Smo Slides

This is what you saw in class. Re-live the magic right here!

Medieval Art from smolinskiel

Medieval Art: Student Slides

Enjoy some slides from Amity's finest art historians! These won't be covered in class, but you are expected to study them to supplement what we ARE covering in class.

Medieval Student Slides from smolinskiel

Random thoughts on Monday, December 16th

I have some random thought I just need to post before I forget to say them to you in person....
1. I just put ALL of the image files that came with our textbook on the student drive. They are in our class folder under "Textbook Images". They are organized into files by chapter. I thought this might be useful for you now, and when you do some research about non-western art. So enjoy!
2. If we have a snow day tomorrow (Tuesday), the Islamic Art quiz will bump to Wednesday. You can still hand in your Romanesque questions on Thursday, but Friday would be ok for those too. I just wanted to get them by the end of the week so you can have some closure before vacation.

That's all for now. Have a nice day!

Islamic Art quiz: Tuesday, December 17

I can't be super specific about what will be on the quiz because that would only hurt you in the long run. There are seven multiple choice questions and one short essay question. All questions are about two very significant architectural works. So for the quiz, I'd focus on architecture, and the overall Islamic style as it relates to architecture.

Romanesque Homework Questions: Chapter 15 - Due Thursday, December 19

Directions: Read chapter 15 (Romanesque Art) and answer the following questions. You may write or type your responses. Please answer the questions in your own words and with your own efforts.

1.     What role do cities, or urban areas, play in the Romanesque era?

2.     What was a pilgrimage? How did it influence medieval culture, trade, and art?

3.     What significant architectural event occurs after the year 1000 AD?

4.     What role does sculpture have in the Romanesque period?

5.     What is the most striking difference between Romanesque architecture and that of the earlier Middle Ages? Basically, how did Romanesque churches differ from Early Medieval churches?

6.     What is a Tympanum and what is its purpose?

7.     What is a ribbed vault and how important is it in Romanesque architecture?

8.     What is the most famous monument of the Tuscan Romanesque?

9.     How would you describe the traits of Romanesque manuscripts as opposed to those seen under Charlemagne’s time?

10.   What does the Bayeux Tapestry signify? How would you compare it with the Parthenon Frieze?

Medieval Slides

Reminder- Medieval slides are due today. Drop them in the student drive APAH folder, or you can e-mail me the PowerPoint file too. Whatever is easiest. I just want to get your slides up on the blog by Friday morning. Thanks :)

OMG the Art History folder is back on the Student W drive!

Ok, now the ORIGINAL AP Art History folder is back on the student drive! All your old work is in there. Where the heck did it go for a few days??? So now there are TWO folders for APAH. So I'll just look in both. I'd hate to delete one and then the other goes missing again and it's a big mess. So we'll just see what happens over the next few days and then I'll consolidate if need be. So whichever folder you can get to, you can drop your Medieval slides in there. Good grief.

Happy snow day!

Hi everyone. I hope you have enjoyed the snow day. I bet you can guess what I was doing all day. I'll give you a hint- It rhymes with "flower point"
ANYWAY, in terms of deadlines, just bump everything up a day. So your questions are due Wednesday and your slides are due Thursday. I'd like to have a quiz on Islamic art on Friday. More details about that in class. Then we launch into Medieval art! Get out your Viking horn hats!

Cool article: "Meat And Booze With A Side Of Still Life: American Painters On Food"

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/06/248781141/meat-and-booze-with-a-side-of-still-life-american-painters-on-food

Student Drive at AHS

Hi guys. E-mail me if you have issues getting your PowerPoint on the Student drive Art History folder. I'm having trouble accessing it myself, so if you have issues too, I'll ask for some help from the AHS tech gods.

Medieval Art Homework Questions: Chapter 14 --- Due Tuesday, December 10th

Read chapter 14 and answer the following questions IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Just you and your book. Type or NEALY hand write your answers.

1. On what kind of objects do we usually find animal style art? How does this relate to the peoples who developed the style and the way they lived?

2. Describe the unique significance of the Book of Kells as an illuminated manuscript.

3. How plentiful were books in the Middle Ages? Who owned books? Who created books? What purpose did most books created at this time serve?

4. What does the Plan of a Monastery tell us about the importance of monasteries and their link to the Imperial court?

5. Compare St. Matthew from the Coronation Gospels with St. Matthew from the Gospel Book of Archbishop Ebbo of Reims. How are they similar, and how do they differ? How has the figure in the Ebbo Gospels been transformed?

6. Why is the Utrecht Psalter considered extraordinary?

7. Consider the portrayal of Christ on the cover of the Lindau Gospels. Why was he portrayed in this manner?

8. "In the Gero Crucifix, we meet an image of the crucified Savior that is new to Western art." How is this image different? Compare it to the Lindau Gospels. What differences are particularly striking?

9. How are the images on the bronze Doors of the Cathedral of Hildesheim arranged? What do they convey to anyone entering the church through these doors?

10. Additional Terms & Artworks to define

• Cloisonne

• Purse Lid from a Ship Burial at Sutton Hoo

• Scriptoria

Islamic Art PowerPoint

Islamic Art from smolinskiel

...and don't forget to watch the Taj Mahal documentary (below) some time this week. It's cool!

Early Christian/ Jewish/ Byzantine Quiz - Wednesday, December 4th

It would be IN YOUR BEST INTEREST to study everything that we covered so that you file all that knowledge away for the exam. Don't just study the details I mention below. It all ties together, so it' best that you know this unit well no matter what is on the quiz. The quiz is 18 multiple choice and one 5-minute essay (sorry, I forgot about that little essay). You will be asked questions about specific works of art:
- one icon
- one tempera painting
- two sculptural works
- one significant work of architecture

Like I said, don't ignore all other information that isn't going to be on the quiz. Getting really familiar with this content NOW will make studying for the midterm and AP exam much more manageable.

Taj Mahal Documentary

This is a REALLY great, short documentary about the Taj Mahal. I really recommend that you watch it in preparation for the Islamic Art unit (coming after we finish Byzantine). We don't have time to watch this in class, so check it out some time soon. This will be a REALLY helpful resource for you.

Since we were just talking about St. Peter, I thought you might like to see this...

Article: Vatican Puts St. Peter's Bones On Display For The First Time 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/24/247027889/vatican-puts-bones-of-st-peter-on-display-for-the-first-time?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=nprfacebook&utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook

Islamic Art Questions: Due Wednesday, November 27

1.    In what ways does Islamic art and architecture show diversity and what are the reasons for this?

2.    What is the difference between a Shi’ite Muslim and a Sunni Muslim?

3.    What was the use of the Mshatta Palace and how was it decorated?

4.    What are some of the distinguishing features of the Great Mosque of Cordoba and why was the site so appropriate?

5.    What were the two major roles of the written word in the Islamic culture?

6.    Why were Islamic textiles an important means of disseminating artistic styles and techniques?

7.    What attributes make the Alhambra an architectural complex noted for its beauty?

8.    How did Spanish textile designs mirror architectural ornamentation?

9.    How do Muslim manuscript pages resemble carpets and why?

10.Define the role of tugras and provide an example of this art form.

Vatican Unveils Frescoes In Catacombs of Priscilla With Images Some Say Show Early Women Priests

Weren't we just talking about Christian catacomb paintings? This link (which you may have to copy and paste) is a really interesting article! I think you can guess how I feel about female priests :)
Check out the article and the photos (you can browse through photos below the article). Cool!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/vatican--frescoes_n_4305560.html

Byzantine Art PowerPoint. The mosaics will dazzle you!

Byzantine Art PowerPoint from smolinskiel

Early Christian and Early Jewish Art PowerPoint

Early Christian/ Early Jewish Art PowerPoint from smolinskiel

30-minute Essay due Thursday, November 21

This essay question is from the 2006 AP Art History Exam. Test takers had 30 minutes to respond. When you write this, keep that time constraint in mind. You can reference your notes and resources when you write this one, but obviously you'll have nothing but your own brilliance to serve you on the exam. This is the essay question:
  "Throughout history, works of art have included symbolic or allegorical images. Select and fully identify two works of art that include symbolic or allegorical images. Your choices must be from different art historical periods. Discuss how each work uses symbols or allegory to convey meaning."

You can use works of art from Chapter 2 (Ancient Near East) all the way through the chapter you just did for homework, Chapter 7 (Early Christian/ Early Jewish/ Byzantine Art). When the question says "fully identify" it means that you must state the name of the artwork, the medium, the artist (if there is one), the culture, and the time period. The more specific you can be, the better. For example, if the piece is from the Late Imperial Roman period, it would be best to say "Late Imperial Roman" than just "Roman". Good luck! Eventually I'll have you write some without any of the fancy "points to remember" or rubric scoring guidelines to look at. None of that stuff will be on the exam, just the question itself!

Ancient Roman Art Test on Thursday, November 14th

25 multiple choice questions, 13 vocabulary matching, one 10-minute essay about an architecture topic. There are questions about painting, architecture, and sculpture. You're gonna do great! As always, all of the questions come directly from past AP exams. Here are the vocabulary words:
-veristic
-aqueduct
-bust
-encaustic
-forum
-keystone
-oculus
-contrapposto (you can't escape this word!)
-basilica
-coffer
-ashlar masonry
-pier
-vault

New discoveries in the death of King Tut! You gotta watch this!

Ancient Rome: Part 3 (sculpture etc.)

Ancient Rome Part 3: Updated from smolinskiel

Art looted by Nazis found in German Apartment (worth 1 billion dollars!)

This is a really interesting article! Very different situation than the Elgin marbles!

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/04/world/europe/germany-looted-art/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Etruscan Art Quiz: Tuesday, November 5

Focus on tombs, temples, and sculpture (13 multiple-choice questions, that's it!)

Ancient Rome: Part 2 (painting)

Ancient Rome Part 2 from smolinskiel

Ancient Rome: Part 1 (mostly architecture)

Ancient Rome Part 1 from smolinskiel

Considering an art history-inspired Halloween costume? These might inspire you:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/17-brilliant-art-history-inspired-halloween-costumes

Chapter 7 Homework Questions: Early Christian, Early Jewish, and Byzantine Art (Due Thursday, October 31)

1.     What are the basic meanings of the Christian symbols of the dove, fish and lamb?

2.     How is the Bible organized? Describe its formal structure and the origins of the main books.

3.     Geographically and administratively, how was the early church organized?

4.     What are the different types of Christian art we have from the time prior to Constantine?

5.     What were the architectural elements of the basilica plan, and the central church plan?

6.     What scenes are portrayed in the mosaics of Galla Placidia?

7.     What scenes are shown on the sarcophagus of Junius Bassus?

8.     What two forms have books taken? Describe them.

9.     Why was Constantinople easy to defend?

10.  How is the main dome of the Hagia Sophia supported?

11.  How does the dome of the Hagia Sophia differ from the dome of the Pantheon?

12.  What stories do the mosaics of San Vitale in Ravenna tell?

13.  What were the purpose of Byzantine manuscripts?

14.  What caused the iconoclasm of 726 CE and what was the result?

15.  What inspired the doge of Venice to commission the Cathedral of St. Mark? 

Etruscan Art PowerPoint. Enjoy!

Etruscan Art from smolinskiel

Greek Test: Friday, October 25

Topics on the test include (but are NOT limited to):

-Archaic vs. Classical vs. Hellenistic style differences

-column orders and temple decorations

-basic architecture methods

-characteristics of Greek sculpture

Ancient Greece Part 3: Sculpture

Greece Part 3 from smolinskiel

The Elgin Marbles: Two Short Essays

You will be writing 2 short papers (250 to 500 words each). In each paper you will defend one respective side in the debate pertaining to the Elgin marbles and the information given in your handouts as well as using information provided in the video below. One paper will be in defense of Lord Elgin’s actions and retaining the marbles in London – the other paper will be in defense of restoring the marbles as a remedy to an illegal act of theft.

Both arguments are due on Wednesday, October 23rd. Grading will be based on the Amity school-wide reading rubric.