Ancient Grecian and Roman 2D Art

Help Questions

AP Art History › Ancient Grecian and Roman 2D Art

Questions 1 - 10
1

Vase paintings in Greece were not held in the highest regard, and are rarely mentioned in the era's literature.

What is so important about vase paintings that vases continued to be produced throughout the Greek states?

They were simple means to convey religious ideals throughout the empire.

They were extremely fragile and therefore often broke and needed to be replaced.

They were in high demand as status symbols.

They were extremely popular and therefore worth a lot of money.

None of the other answers is correct.

Explanation

Most people in Ancient Greece could not read, and vase paintings were a simple and cheap method of conveying religious stories and myths that the common person could understand.

2

______________ was/were the frequent subject of art during the time period of Imperial Rome.

The emperor, Caesar

Gods/Deities

War Heroes

Individuals of the Republic

Explanation

The emperor (or Caesar) was often the subject of imperial art. The Romans saw their emperor as both a religious and political figure and celebrated their position through their art forms. Similar to the pharaohs of Egypt, the emperor was considered a "God" in his own right.

3

What was the main function of Roman art?

Decoration

To demonstrate ancestral history

To show emotional connection

The expression of moral ideals

Explanation

The Romans were proud of their art and used it mostly for showing off to others and decoration. After Pompeii was excavated, it was obvious that the Romans liked adding decoration to not only their home, but also everyday objects such as utensils and furniture.

4

______________ was/were the frequent subject of art during the time period of Imperial Rome.

The emperor, Caesar

Gods/Deities

War Heroes

Individuals of the Republic

Explanation

The emperor (or Caesar) was often the subject of imperial art. The Romans saw their emperor as both a religious and political figure and celebrated their position through their art forms. Similar to the pharaohs of Egypt, the emperor was considered a "God" in his own right.

5

Vase paintings in Greece were not held in the highest regard, and are rarely mentioned in the era's literature.

What is so important about vase paintings that vases continued to be produced throughout the Greek states?

They were simple means to convey religious ideals throughout the empire.

They were extremely fragile and therefore often broke and needed to be replaced.

They were in high demand as status symbols.

They were extremely popular and therefore worth a lot of money.

None of the other answers is correct.

Explanation

Most people in Ancient Greece could not read, and vase paintings were a simple and cheap method of conveying religious stories and myths that the common person could understand.

6

What was the main function of Roman art?

Decoration

To demonstrate ancestral history

To show emotional connection

The expression of moral ideals

Explanation

The Romans were proud of their art and used it mostly for showing off to others and decoration. After Pompeii was excavated, it was obvious that the Romans liked adding decoration to not only their home, but also everyday objects such as utensils and furniture.

7

Encaustic painting, a popular technique for Greek painters, can most basically be broken down into which of the following three steps?

Heat beeswax, add colored pigment, apply to wood surface.

Add pigment to water, mix egg yolk, apply to wet plaster.

Add pigment to water, mix egg yolk, apply to dry plaster.

Mix oils and pigments, apply to wood, heat to dry.

Mix pigment and water, add beeswax, cool and let dry.

Explanation

The main ingredient of encaustic painting is beeswax, and the mixture is most often applied to wood, though it has other uses. Egg-yolk pigments are a characteristic of fresco, not encaustic painting.

8

Encaustic painting, a popular technique for Greek painters, can most basically be broken down into which of the following three steps?

Heat beeswax, add colored pigment, apply to wood surface.

Add pigment to water, mix egg yolk, apply to wet plaster.

Add pigment to water, mix egg yolk, apply to dry plaster.

Mix oils and pigments, apply to wood, heat to dry.

Mix pigment and water, add beeswax, cool and let dry.

Explanation

The main ingredient of encaustic painting is beeswax, and the mixture is most often applied to wood, though it has other uses. Egg-yolk pigments are a characteristic of fresco, not encaustic painting.

9

Clothing portrayed in Greek sculpture that shows off the female figure without the woman in question appearing nude is a form of what kind of drapery?

Phidian

Classical

Lysippian

Near Eastern

Athenian

Explanation

Phidian, a term which refers to work in the style of the sculptor Phidias, is known for his use of drapery to highlight the female form, which was not allowed to be shown in the nude.

10

The most complete trove of provincial Roman panel paintings, often made by Greek painters and found in Egypt, are known as __________.

the Fayum mummy portraits

the Severan Tondo

the Pitsa panels

the Aldobrandini Wedding

Explanation

Most paintings from the classical world are lost, due to withering away and fading over time, unless they were in conditions that preserved them. The Fayum mummy portraits are the best collection of ancient portraits because they laid for centuries underground in the dry deserts of Egypt. While the creation of mummy portraits is descended from ancient Egyptian mummy practices, the Fayum portraits were typically painted by Greek artists for Roman patrons in Egypt, after Rome had accessioned Ptolemaic Egypt, following the Battle of Actium.

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