Introduction to the Visual Arts

GCA 166
Prof. S. Kadinsky

MIDTERM EXAM

Part I. In each of the following four sections, choose either A or B. Answer each
question in detail with examples and explanations. In total, this section is 80 percent
of the exam, with 20 points for each question.

Ancient Europe and Egypt

A. What was the purpose of the Neolithic Newgrange Tomb, menhirs and
Stonehenge? How did these monuments interact with nature? How were they
constructed and which ancient European culture do they represent?

B. What was the purpose of the Egyptian pyramids? What relationship did
murals and statues have to the mummies of the deceased? Who was the
intended audience of all this funerary artwork? Why were the pyramids lter
discontinued in favor of less public tombs for Egyptian rulers?

Greek Art and Architecture

A. What were the vases used for and how did ancient Greek artists conform
their art to the contours and shapes of the vases? What material was used to
paint the images and how were images framed on the vases? How did the
vase promote the spread of Greek culture?

B. Which ancient Greek work of art is found in the British Museum? Where was
it originally located, based on the shape of its figures? How did it get there
and why is it the subject of an ongoing international dispute? What are the
main reasons why it should be kept in the British Museum or returned to
Greece?

Roman Art and Architecture

A. What was the purpose of the Ara Pacis altar and how did its location connect
it to previous civilizations? How do depictions of earlier events in Roman
history connect to the overall message of the altar? What naturalistic and
real-life details do the friezes include? Which modern Italian ruler relocated
the altar and what was his reason for doing so? Does the modern pavilion
enhance or detract from the design of the altar?

B. How were early Roman portrait sculptures similar to Greek sculptures? What
were the unique design elements that made them Roman? What was the
purpose of early Roman sculptures and how did their design reflect their
purpose? Under the emperors, which elements were added to Roman statues
in order to enhance the emperor's image?
Byzantine Design
A. Why did the Byzantine Empire abandon statues in favor of mosaics? Which
ancient Greek design elements do these mosaics retain? At the same time,
how do they depart from the established Greco-Roman tradition in art?
Which symbols of power and hierarchy do these mosaics display?

B. In the design of the 2010 Hurva Synagogue, why did the planners decide to
build an exact replica of the previous Hurva synagogue? What were the other
options and why were they rejected? What other famous Byzantine-style
religious building can be found in Jerusalem and how was its relationship to
the Hurva synagogue a source of controversy? In turn, which famous
Byzantine churches serve as inspirations to these two Jerusalem structures?
What elements do they have in common?

Part II. Variety of Topics. Answer one of the five sections below..

1. What were the goals of early public school architects and artists in their designs?
How did their designs evoke local history and promote pride in a given location?
Which historical periods inspired the city Beautiful movement and which
elements did they borrow from those periods?

2. What are the inspirations behind Danger Invites Rescue, Group of Four Trees and
New York in Transit? How do they reflect their intended locations, and the styles
and life stories of their respective artists? Which websites or books did you use to
find information on the artists?

3. What is a relief sculpture? What are the major differences in design and elements
between ancient Egyptian and Roman reliefs? Which one is more lifelike? Why
did the Byzantine Empire reject statues in favor of murals and reliefs? What is the
theme of the reliefs and what Christian elements are visible in these reliefs?

4. How did the Temple of Dendur end up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Why
was it removed from Egypt? What makes the case of this temple different from
the Elgin Marbles, in terms of foreign ownership? Which other famous world
landmarks does the newspaper cite as examples of historical objects relocated to
the United States?

5. What was the purpose of the votive statues in ancient Babylonian culture? Why
do they have wide open eyes and what does this say about their meaning? Which
Babylonian king was known for votive statues and what was the significance of
the stone from which they were made?