Taking an Art History Exam
Slide Identifications
This part of the exam requires memorization.
You might be asked to include several
of the following:
| 1. |
WHAT? |
Title or identification of the piece |
| 2. |
WHO? |
Name of artist or culture that produced it |
| 3. |
WHEN? |
Date (exact or approx) or artistic period/style |
| 4. |
WHERE? |
Geographical or cultural origin |
| 5. |
HOW? |
Medium |
6.
|
WHY?
|
2-3 sentences about the significance of the work…think
about technique, style, use, and context (physical or temporal) of the
piece |
Arrive to class on time. Most
exams begin with the slide-IDs. Most professors
show each slide only once for 1-5
minutes and will not go back.
SAMPLE SLIDE IDENTIFICATION- RECENT
HISTORIC
| TITLE |
The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) |
| ARTIST |
Leonardo da Vinci
|
| DATE |
1503-1506 |
| ORIGIN |
Italy |
| MEDIUM |
Oil on wood panel |
DISCUSSION
|
Known for her mysterious smile, the Mona Lisa
depicts an unknown model (perhaps a female ruler, noble mistress, or self
portrait). The soft glow radiating from her skin is accomplished
by the "sfumato” technique & contrasts with the dim background
and dark drape. |
|
|
SAMPLE SLIDE IDENTIFICATION II-
ANCIENT HISTORY
| IDENTIFY |
Akhenaten Presenting a Duck to Aten |
| PERIOD/DATE |
18th Dynasty, c.1345-1335 B.C. |
| CULTURE |
Egyptian |
| MEDIUM |
Painted limestone |
DISCUSSION
|
During the reign of Akhenaten, depictions of the Pharaoh shifted from
standardized, stiff, and idealized kingly figures to more natural figures
and themes. In this work, the Pharaoh is pictured with a long,
naturalized
face carrying out a an act of humility, the sacrifice of a duck to the
gods. This shift in style is believed to have been intentional, distancing
Akhenaten, a worshipper of Aten, the sun god, from his predecessors who
worshipped another god. |
|
|
Writing a Slide Comparison
This part of the exam requires
both memorization and basic understanding of the stylistic and contextual
concepts.
| FIRST |
Identify each slide as you did in the slide ID
(e.g., title, date, creator, medium) |
| THEN |
write a few sentences/paragraph about what the
pieces have in common… |
| AND |
how they differ... |
| CONSIDER |
similarities and differences of form, style,
use, significance, temporal relation |
The professor will generally
show each pair of slides for 1-5 minutes and will not go back,
so make sure to identify (or
sketch if need be) both slides before he/she advances the slides
| DO |
write in complete sentences organized into brief
paragraphs |
| DON’T |
waste time describing the pieces... "this piece
is red, the other is black; one is big, the other is small." Instead,
write about significant features that demonstrate what you know about
the work. |
| DO |
refer to the works by their titles or artists
(Waterlilies or 'the Monet work') |
| DON’T |
refer to the slides as ‘the slide on the left/right.’
The professor may not remember position of each slide when grading. |
SAMPLE SLIDE COMPARISON
|
Ask yourself...
~ Are these pieces typical of different artistic
movements?
~ Were they painted in the same time period?
Or different? Which was painted first? Did it impact the other?
~ Were they painted by the same artist or different?
~ Is the painting technique the same ordifferent?
~ How about treatment of color?
Then explain some of these similarities and/or
differences... use the information you have learned in lecture and reading
to add insight to your interpretation... |
|
Claude Monet
The Stroll, Camille Monet and Her Son Jean (Woman with a Parasol)
1875
Oil on canvas |
|
Vincent Van Gogh
The Starry Night
1889
Oil on canvas |
There are a number of effective
ways to structure your short essay...
1. ORGANIZE BY ART WORK
~ All about the Monet work:
time period, artists,
use of color, technique, etc.
~ All about about VanGogh work: time period,
artists, use of color, technique, etc.
~ Summary
2. ORGANIZE BY SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCE
~ All the similarities (VanGogh is like Monet...)
~ All of the differences (VanGogh differs
from Monet...)
3. ORGANIZE BY THEME
~ All about time period (Similarities and
Differences)
~ All about artists (Similarities and Differences)
~ All about color use (Similarities and Differences)
~ All about technique (Similarities and Differences)
~ All about all other importants aspects (form,
context, theme, etc.)
Writing the Essay
You will generally be required to answer an essay question(s) using specific examples of art
The essay is generally the final part of the exam and counts for the most points
PREPARING
FIRST read and consider the question asked... and consider the following:
- What have you learned about this topic? (technique, artistic period, artist, etc.
- Do you remember some of the art pieces viewed that might be relevant?
If it helps, perhaps jot down (on another sheet of paper or in the margins) relevant words and phrases that may jog your memory
THEN briefly outline either on paper or in your head the order in which you wish to present each piece of your answer or argument
WRITING
STAY CALM!
This is the most important thing you can do to help your thoughts flow smoothly & understandably onto the test paper.
INTRODUCTION:
After spending about 5 minutes preparing, open your essay with your introduction,
briefly stating your opinion, answer, or argument.
BODY:
Then move onto 3 or 4 paragraphs stating why you answered the question as you did. These should include:
- elaboration of argument,
- historical or textual evidence to support it, and/or brief description of artistic examples.
CONCLUSION:
Conclude with a reiteration of your argument and why it is significant.
More is not always better
A short comprehensive essay is better than 3 pages of rambling (outlining before writing helps).
Managing Test Time
GET TO CLASS ON TIME!
Slide identifications generally begin as soon as class time arrives and advance every 1-5 minutes. This means that for every 1-5 minutes you are late, you miss the opportunity to answer one whole question. Professors who repeat slides for those that arrive late are rare... so be on time!
LEAVE SPACE AND GO BACK
If you are unable to complete a slide identification before your professors advances to the next slide, leave space at the bottom of the answer so that you can return to it... only if you have time.
READ AHEAD AND ANSWER THE ESSAYS YOU KNOW BEST FIRST
If you are given more than one essay to write, read through the essays and decide which one you are best equipped to answer. Answer this one first. This strategy is effective for a number of reasons... 1) it eases you into essay writing mode with material you find most comfortable and familiar, 2) you are assured plenty of time to answer the question for which you are likely to receive the most points, 3) it gives you extra time to be thinking (in the back of your mind) about how you might answer the other questions asked
RETURN TO UNANSWERED QUESTIONS...ONLY IF YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH YOUR ESSAY ANSWERS
Missing one or two parts of an ID will only cost 1,2, or maybe 3 points. Missing one or two arguments in an essay may cost a whole lot more. So, make sure you answer the essay questions completely and thoroughly before returning to earlier questions of lesser point value.