AP Art History : Understanding terminology that describes fourteenth- through sixteenth-century architecture
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Architecture
In an arch, the central piece of masonry that allows all the pressure to be placed throughout the arch is called __________.
the transverse
the keystone
the beam
the lintel
the buttress
the keystone
An arch is able to remain in its appropriate position because of the way that pressure is placed throughout the entire arch. Pressure can only be appropriately distributed because of the placement of the keystone. The keystone is the central stone in an arch, which is shaped in order to push the weight down through every piece of stone.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Fourteenth Through Sixteenth Century Architecture
What technological discovery (or rediscovery) was necessary for the completion of the dome atop Florence's Il Duomo in 1436?
Steel support
Aqueducts
Concrete
Calculus
Flying Buttresses
Concrete
The rediscovery of concrete was the key to completing the dome atop Il Duomo. Filippo Brunelleschi found the lost recipe for concrete, a recipe that was lost in the Middle Ages; prior to the Middle Ages, concrete was used often by the Ancient Romans.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Fourteenth Through Sixteenth Century Architecture
The architecture of the Renaissance saw a resurgence of features from the architecture of which ancient civilization?
None of these
Ancient Sumeria
Mesopotamia
Ancient Rome
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Rome
Renaissance architecture made use of attributes of Ancient Roman architecture. Namely, Renaissance architects utilized Ancient Roman column types, such as Doric, Ionic, Tuscan, Composite, and Corinthian, often used decoratively rather than structurally.
Example Question #3 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Fourteenth Through Sixteenth Century Architecture
A _____________ is a wedge-shaped block used in the construction of an arch.
lintel
archivolt
voussoir
trumeau
voussoir
The "voussoir" is a wedge-shaped block that makes up a true arch.
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