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ART HISTORY 202: RENAISSANCE TO MODERN ART

Preparation Guide for FINAL Exam (FRIDAY, MAY 16th, 10:05 A.M.-12:05 P.M.)

As stated in the syllabus, please note that exams are designed to demonstrate your knowledge of a range of works of art and issues related to them discussed in lecture, in discussion section, and in the textbook. It cannot and will not cover everything, given that we’ve spent hours discussing these works of art and their significance in class. Focus on studying major issues, ideas, and especially period styles (neo-classicism, romanticism, realism, impressionism, etc.) relative to specific works of art that we’ve discussed in class (and which have been identified as IMAGES YOU SHOULD KNOW). Do not dwell on small details covered only in passing (i.e. date of an historical event, minor biographical information on an artist, etc.). If something has been repeated or if you’ve seen the image more than once, that’s a strong hint. PLEASE NOTE: anything identified as an IMAGE YOU SHOULD KNOW may appear on the exam as a SLIDE ID or as an image in the comparison. The exam will likely take up most of the two-hour period.
To prepare yourself for the exam, you should:
  • REVIEW your class notes (from lecture and section) carefully; these are your best preparation guides. Be familiar with GENERAL PERIOD CONCEPTS and TERMINOLOGY/VOCABULARY—and be prepared to apply these ideas to particular works of art. Use the textbook to supplement and review information discussed in lecture and section, focusing on general period styles and historical trends (usually at the beginning of chapters and at the introductions of sections within the chapters).
  • FAMILIARIZE yourself with the IMAGES that we have indicated you are responsible for from the larger body of IMAGES LISTS from WEEKS 8-15 on the website. In addition to being able to recognize these works of art, you should be familiar with sections of the textbook related to those works of art and the artists who produced them. Flashcards are a good way to memorize works of art and to test yourself on information about them. There is a FLASHCARD function on the website.
  • PRACTICE comparisons with works of art by different artists, from different time periods or styles, and from different countries, territories, and regions. Become familiar with the basic methods for writing comparisons that was discussed earlier in the semester in section. Consider comparisons between works in all different media, from different periods and places, and be sure to consider similarities and differences.

THE EXAM WILL CONSIST OF 2 SECTIONS—A SHORT ANSWER SECTION AND A SLIDE COMPARISON
(BOTH SECTIONS ASK YOU TO WRITE ABOUT WORKS OF ART)
THE FORMAT IS SIMILAR TO THE MIDTERM, BUT THERE ARE A FEW MORE SLIDE IDS.

PART I – SLIDE ID/SHORT ANSWER (11 SLIDES (must do 10), 8 points each, 80 points total – 5 minutes each)
  • Images will be chosen from the IMAGES YOU SHOULD KNOW list. All of these images have appeared on IMAGE LISTS from WEEKS 8-15, and will be indicated with asterisks (*) on the website.
  • You will be asked to identify each slide as completely as possible, noting ARTIST/ARCHITECT, TITLE or NAME OF WORK OF ART/ARCHITECTURE (if architecture, you should also identify location—city and country—for full credit), and DATE MADE (see policy on dates below).
  • You should divide up each answer into 5 parts to make sure you answer ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION, and number them in your blue book as A, B, C, D, and E. Notes on the specifics of each part are found below. These parts are:
        A) Artist or Architect (1 point)
        B) Title or Name of Building (if architecture; 1 point)
        C) Date Produced (1 point)
        D) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE (4 points)
        E) VOCABULARY WORD & DEFINITION (3 points)
  • PART A: TITLE OR NAME. Generally, you need to know the LAST NAME of the artist only—with a caveat. For this exam, it is tricky—because some artists (i.e., Michelangelo) are known by their first name (rather than last name). I only expect you will know the name they are known by in the book (and what I referred to them as most of the time in lecture), which is generally LAST NAME ONLY, but not always (stick with the book for these determinations or ask your T.A.).
  • PART B: TITLE OR NAME. Use the level of information given on the IMAGE LISTS as the expectation for what we want you to know. You do not need to indicate the location (past or present) of portable works of art (e.g., paintings), but if the work of art is permanently installed (i.e., a fresco or mural painting), you are required to give the location for full credit (i.e., Masaccio, Tribute Money, Brancacci Chapel), since the location is part of the title. Partial credit will be given in cases where you could be more specific or more accurate. In the case of buildings, the location is part of the title – so list it to get full credit.
  • PART C: DATES. Though I would rather that you spend time studying issues and concepts rather than spend hours memorizing details you will likely forget later, studying the history of art requires that you acquire an understanding of chronology and how particular artists and works of art fit within that chronology. It just doesn’t make sense otherwise! The expectation is that you know dates within a +/- 15 year range. There are some objects that could only happen before or after a certain point (i.e., Durer’s Four Apostles couldn’t have been made prior to Luther’s 95 theses), and points may be taken off in a case like this. If you understand the context for works of art, you shouldn’t have trouble learning dates. Try to be as specific as possible. If there’s a range (i.e., 1440-60), credit will be given for +/- 15 years on either end of the range (i.e., 1425-75). If there’s a discrepancy between the book and the website, consideration will be given to EITHER date.
  • PART D: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE. Here you are asked to write a statement about what you know about it, focusing on how it is representative of the time when it was created. We strongly suggest for the final exam that you discuss how the work of art exemplifies or typifies the style (or “ism”) associated with it. You may also discuss the content (essentially subject-matter) of the work and why it is important, biography (of artist or sitter—if portrait), and/or historical context in which it was produced (including questions of patronage)—but you must say something SUBSTANTIVE. No credit will be given for answers that focus on PRAISE or IDLE or VAGUE SPECULATION (i.e., “this is a powerful work”; “it is beautiful”; “it seems as if it might refer to some underlying message”). Think broadly in terms of how the object is representative of its period—how does it represent the themes/concepts discussed in class relative to its period? IMPORTANT—you should push beyond description here to analysis (i.e., an answer that says “there’s a lot of blue in this painting” is wrong; tell me why blue is significant relative to the period). PLEASE NOTE: your statement of significance must be different than the information in the vocabulary to earn credit.
  • PART E: VOCABULARY. You should choose a vocabulary word – any word that we’ve used since the beginning of term – that relates to the work, define it, and EXPLAIN HOW IT RELATES TO THE IMAGE. That is, focus on explaining what the term means and how it applies to the picture. LISTING THE WORD & DEFINING IT IS NOT ENOUGH; YOU MUST DISCUSS HOW IT APPLIES TO THE WORK FOR FULL CREDIT (EVEN IF IT IS OBVIOUS). PLEASE NOTE: your discussion of the vocabulary word must be different than the statement of significance to earn credit.
  • You won’t be graded on spelling, unless we can’t figure out what you are trying to spell (that is, if the spelling is off such that we can’t recognize it). Points will be taken off for spelling only in cases where it is not at all clear what you are trying to say. This includes messy handwriting (sorry).
  • Your answers FOR THIS SECTION need not be in complete sentences; a list is fine.
  • You will have a choice of images—you will be able to eliminate 1 of your answers. YOU MUST DECIDE; we do not choose for you.
  • IMPORTANT (CLARIFICATION FROM THE MIDTERM): YOU NEED TO USE A DIFFERENT VOCABULARY WORD FOR EACH ID. THUS - THIS MEANS YOU CAN NOT USE “MODERNISM” (OR OTHER SIMILAR WORDS) FOR EACH ID (SORRY).
PART II - SLIDE COMPARISON ESSAY (1 comparison, 20 points, 20 minutes)
For this section, you’ll be asked to COMPARE and CONTRAST two slides in terms of their similarities and differences in a short essay. You will not have a choice of images on this section. You should begin by identifying the two slides as completely as possible, as in PART I, noting ARTIST (1 point each), TITLE (1 point each), and DATE MADE (1 point each--this part of your answer need not be in complete sentences). Then, you will be asked to explain the similarities and differences both formally and contextually. Focus on explaining what the visual differences are (using what you’ve learned in terms of formal analysis in section) and then move on to explain how they epitomize trends in their respective periods they were made and/or places the works were produced. Hints may be given to help you with this section. Although there will be many different things you might compare, you should keep in mind the following:
  • Note similarities as well as differences (no matter how different the images are, there has to be something that is similar).
  • Outlining your comparison rather than just starting to write will help you organize your essay and, most importantly, hone in on the major theme that is being compared. YOU WILL HAVE OVER AN HOUR FOR THE COMPARISON – SO YOU SHOULD OUTLINE BEFORE YOU BEGIN.
  • Your essay should have a “thesis” that explains what the MAJOR POINT OF COMPARISON is.
  • It should be written in complete sentences and organized in paragraphs that logically fit together. It should not be a series of rambling thoughts. Do not make a list.
  • A common mistake is simply telling us everything you know about the individual works and not comparing them. Make sure if you mention color with one image you discuss color in the other. To compare means moving back and forth between the objects of the comparison.
  • Though you can’t discuss everything, you should discuss STYLE, CONTENT, and CONTEXT in your essay in some fashion. USE THE ISMS TO HELP YOU.
  • Use terminology (and define the terms) where appropriate to demonstrate what you know.
  • Avoid qualitative judgments about the works of art (i.e., terms such as “good,” “superior,” “excellent,” “beautiful”) as you would in a formal analysis.
OTHER HINTS
  • Make sure to try to answer the 3 bonus questions (1 point each), which will appear at the top of the exam handout in a box. A good time to do this is while we are handing out the exams!
  • Sitting in the front of the room for an art history exam is not a bad idea, especially for this exam (hint: artists sign their works). If you want to guarantee a seat in the front, please come early. The room will be open approximately 15 minutes before the exam starts.
  • Use terminology where you can to demonstrate what you know. An “A” exam will apply terminology consistently (outside of the “vocabulary” part of PART I).
  • Though we’ve been focusing a lot on painting, we’ve also discussed sculpture, architecture, and prints; don’t assume these aren’t important simply because we’ve discussed fewer examples of them.
  • Though all of the images are on the course website, most also appear in your textbook—and to be honest, the quality will be better there than on a printout from the website (if you want to see details).
  • Make use of the website, however, as appropriate. In addition to a copy of these guidelines, it contains all the images and other helpful information. Your T.A. can explain how to use the “flashcard” function to test yourself.
  • Please don’t stress out. If you’ve been coming to lecture and section (and staying awake) and keeping up with readings (in the textbook, especially), you will be prepared. If you haven’t been coming to class, we strongly suggest you get help from one of your classmates in your section.
  • A make-up exam will be impossible, since the final comes at the end of exam week—so you must be present for the final or you will not get credit (and it counts for 30% of your grade). The policy on this is outlined in the syllabus. Keep in mind any requests for make-ups must come BEFORE the final, NOT AFTERWARDS (the Professor will be in her office the morning of the exam and reachable by phone). WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU SET TWO ALARMS TO MAKE SURE YOU WAKE UP IN TIME (most cell phones have an alarm – use it). The policy on make-ups outlined in the syllabus is non-negotiable, and has been designed to be fair to everyone involved—the Professor, the T.A.’s, and other students in the class.