AP Art History : Identifying artists, works, or schools of nineteenth-century 2D art

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History

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Example Questions

Example Question #91 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

Paul gauguin   d ou venons nous

The artist of this work is ______________.

Possible Answers:

Paul Cézanne

Paul Gauguin

Vincent van Gogh

Marc Chagall

Henri Matisse

Correct answer:

Paul Gauguin

Explanation:

The Polynesian subject matter and smooth brush style indicate that this is a Paul Gauguin. While Gauguin and van Gogh were close contemporaries, their styles of painting vary greatly. Gauguin is closely related to Cézanne, however the subject matter and lack of geometric brush strokes indicate that Cézanne could not be the artist. Matisse and Chagall both do not relate.

Example Question #92 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

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The artist of this is associated with what artistic movement?

Possible Answers:

De Stijl

Dada

Impressionist

Post-impressionist

Vienna Secession

Correct answer:

Post-impressionist

Explanation:

While van Gogh studied with impressionists, the vast majority of his work does not reflect the tenets of impressionism. Where he works with block and absolute color, the impressionists mixed their color to match the exact refracted light at exact times of day. Since the majority of his work comes after the short-lived impressionist period, he would be considered Post-Impressionist. De Stijl, Vienna Secession, and Dada all do not relate. This piece is called Cypresses it was written in (1889).

Example Question #98 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

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In what country did the artist most likely produce this work?

Possible Answers:

Germany

Spain

The Netherlands

France

Belgium

Correct answer:

France

Explanation:

van Gogh, while Flemish, spent the vast majority of his life in France. In order to solve this question you needed to identify the piece as having been painted by van Gogh, and to know that he spent the vast majority of his active painting career in France.

Example Question #99 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

Paul gauguin   d ou venons nous

What style of art is the artist known for?

Possible Answers:

De Stijl

Impressionism

Post-Impressionism

Expressionism

Primitivism

Correct answer:

Primitivism

Explanation:

While Gauguin is often considered a post-impressionist artist with ties to the impressionists, his work in French Polynesia (Tahiti) is considered primitivist. This was a style in the second half of the nineteenth century, particularly popular amongst artists with ties to European colonies.

Example Question #101 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

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Paul gauguin   d ou venons nous

Both artists break from the impressionists, technically speaking, in what way?

Possible Answers:

Mystical elements

Time spent on painting

Subject matter

Colors

Treatment of paint

Correct answer:

Treatment of paint

Explanation:

While subject matter and mystical elements apply to the bottom painting, they do not apply to the top painting. In addition, there is no way to know if the time spent on the paintings differs from those of the impressionists. Moreover, color is not necessarily a good indicator (particularly for the top painting). The best answer is the treatment of paint.  Both van Gogh and Gauguin used paint far more aggressively than their impressionist counterparts.

Example Question #102 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

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Paul gauguin   d ou venons nous

In what time period were these two paintings finished?

Possible Answers:

1880 - 1895

1885 - 1900

1875 - 1890

1890 - 1905

1890 - 1910

Correct answer:

1885 - 1900

Explanation:

Van Gogh's Cypresses was painted in 1889 and Gauguin's Where Do We Come From?  What Are We?  Where Are We Going? was painted in 1897.

Example Question #103 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

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The artist of this work is ______________.

Possible Answers:

Paul Gauguin

Egon Schiele

Vincent van Gogh

Claude Monet

Edouard Manet

Correct answer:

Vincent van Gogh

Explanation:

Given the intense brush style and treatment of landscape and subject, this piece is a van Gogh. Manet and Monet were impressionists, and this work is post-impressionist. Schiele does not fit the time period or the style.

Example Question #104 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

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The artist of this work often likened the cypress trees to what?

Possible Answers:

Large paint brushes

Radio towers

Lampposts

Dark flames

Egyptian obelisks

Correct answer:

Egyptian obelisks

Explanation:

van Gogh often referred to cypress trees as Egyptian obelisks, drawing connections to ancient history in his work. In his cypress tree paintings, he was fascinated by the dark, vertical nature of these trees in bright surroundings.

Example Question #105 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

__________ was a literary and artistic movement originating in Europe that came to be during the late eighteenth century. Its main concentration was on emotion and the individual, and the celebration of nature and times past. This movement had a large impact not only on popular art and literature, but also on day-to-day life for those living during its peak, as it affected education and science as well. 

Possible Answers:

Romanticism

Mannerism

Art Nouveau

The Renaissance

Liberalism

Correct answer:

Romanticism

Explanation:

The answer is Romanticism. Romanticism was in many ways a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, as many artists during that time felt as though society had become too rational, exact and scientific. Romanticism praised and sought to express deep emotion—even negative emotions like fear and apprehension—and the concept of nature and the natural world. Romanticism also celebrated heroic or daring individuals, as they were seen as superior members of society. The art, literature, and music of this time period reflects these sentiments.

Example Question #106 : Nineteenth Century 2 D Art

Claude monet 004

On the basis of style, the work shown can be attributed to ____________________.

Possible Answers:

Claude Monet

Gustave Courbet

Eugene Delacroix

Henri Matisse

Correct answer:

Claude Monet

Explanation:

Many elements of this 1877 painting, The Saint Lazare Station, bear the hallmarks of the school of art known as Impressionism. The visible brushstrokes, soft colors in order to mimic natural light and the relatively mundane setting of a train station are all signature elements of Impressionism. The only answer choice who was a key member of the Impressionist movement is Claude Monet.

Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet_004.jpg

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