Art History

Please select ONE question from the five below.Read the questions thoroughly before you begin answering. Some questions have more than one part — be sure you answer all parts of the question.

Only use examples of art work, architecture, and objects that we covered in Weeks 5 through 8 (permissible artwork, architecture, and objects are on the Image Lists for Weeks 5 through 8). Only use each artwork one time.Identify the work of art, architecture, or objects you choose to discuss by providing the name of the artists (if known), the title of the work, and the date (just the century is ok).Incorporate what you learned about style, iconography, and historical context when into your response.

Question #1: Compare and contrast painting and/or sculpture of the High Renaissance, Mannerist, and Baroque periods, using one example from each period. Use only works of art from the Image Lists for Weeks 5 thru 8, for a total of three. You will want to be sure to discuss style and subject matter in your response, as well as any relevant historical information that helps explain the similarities or differences you observe.

You may want to start by clearly defining the characteristics of each period’s style and then choosing examples that will help you demonstrate your points. It would be best to organize this response by using one paragraph to discuss each example, being sure to make connections between the works as you go (ie, in paragraph 2, refer to the work in paragraph 1 as a point of comparison; in paragraph 3, refer to works in paragraphs 1 and 2 as points of comparison, etc.). This response should be approximately 500 words.

Question #2: Classical antiquity is said to have been “reborn” during the High Renaissance (hence the name of this period, “renaissance”, which means ‘rebirth’). Discuss what this “rebirth” means, using 3 examples from the Image Lists for Weeks 5 and 6 to make your points. In what ways are Renaissance artists influenced by the art of classical antiquity and in what ways do they update ancient techniques and subjects?

Choose examples whose content and style will help you clearly make your points. This response should be approximately 500 words.Question #3: The development of trade routes in the 16th century had an immeasurable impact on culture all over the world, connecting far flung places to each other and bringing goods, people, and ideas from one place to another. Using 3 examples from the Image Lists for Weeks 6 and 7, discuss how art and/or architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries reflect(s) the impact of trade and travel on places like Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Choose examples whose content and/or materials will help you clearly make your points. This response should be approximately 500 words.Question #4: What was the Protestant Reformation and how did it affect art in the 16th and 17th centuries in Northern Europe?

Using 3 examples from the Image Lists for Weeks 5 thru 8, discuss how the Protestant Reformation impacts the kinds of paintings made in northern Europe (meaning the Dutch Republic, parts of France, and England) and how they differ from those in southern Europe. Be sure to discuss style, iconography, and historical context in your response. This response should be approximately 500 words.

Question #5: What is the Counter Reformation and how does it affect art and architecture of the 17th century?

Using 3 examples from the Image Lists from Weeks 7 and/or 8, discuss the Baroque style and subject matter in the context of the Counter Reformation. You will want to define the characteristics of the Baroque style and then choose examples that will help you demonstrate your understanding of this style.

Be sure to also include a discussion of historical context in your response and discuss how context relates to your examples. If relevant, you might want to explain what has changed in Baroque art and/or architecture since previous periods. This response should be approximately 500 words.