Your test will be divided into 2 parts, one objective and one essay.
OBJECTIVE PART: You will have 35 multiple choice questions keyed to slides. They will test your knowledge about the images you need to know and will deal with dates, styles (or cultures), the purposes for which objects or structures were made, and the meanings of the following words:
| conceptual (intellectual realism | hypostyle | pyramid |
| cuneiform | in situ | relief sculpture |
| eclectic | mastaba | three-dimensional |
| fertility figure | megalith | two-dimensional |
| freestanding sculpture | optical (visual realism) | valley temple |
| fresco | provenance (provenience) | votive figure |
| hieroglyphics | pylon temple | ziggurat |
| canopic | Nubia | Narmer |
| Hatshpesut | Akhenaten |
You should know to which works or cultures these words might apply. Know how the proper names are important to the art we have studied.
Geography: You will need to know where the cultures on your slide list were located. You will be asked to put a mark on a map identical to the one below to locate a culture or work of art or architecture. (On such a large map you will need to know where Mesopotamia is, for example, and will not be expected to distinguish between Babylon and Sumer. Your book has good maps at the beginning of each chapter which will help you to study for this.
ESSAY PART: You will have three short (5 minute, 10 point) essays .
You will need to be able to identify the works and write an essay dealing with the form or style, medium, purpose, and subject matter for which the works were made.
To study for this part I would group the works by style or culture and ask the following types of questions:
What characteristics do you associate with each style? How do each of the works exemplify these characteristics?
For example, you might ask youself what characteristics you might expect to see if I showed you a Sumerian sculpture.
For example you might expect to see a carved stone figure in a cylindrical shape with large eyes and clasped hands.
Go through the works on your list and ask yourself by what technique or in what medium they were made.
examples: inlaid stone, mud brick, relief sculpture
Ask yourself for what purpose they were made.
examples: a palace to glorify a ruler, a tomb, a sculpture to commemorate the victory of a ruler, a votive figure
Don't forget that a make-up palette can also be decorated to commemorate a major battle.
Think about the characteristics we have associated with the conceptual approach.
FOR SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING GOOD SHORT ESSAYS CLICK HERE
You will have one 20 point, 10 minute comparison essay.
Possible topics :
comparison and contrast of :
two reliefs (or other 2D media) from different cultures
two freestanding statues from different cultures
Try some sample comparisons. Consider the purpose for which the works were made or decorated,their subject matter, the figure pose, relative sizes, arrangement of elements (composition), use of space, etc.
WRITING GOOD COMPARISON ESSAYS - EXAMPLES
You will have two unknown essays,5 points each.
You will need to identify the unknown slides by culture and approximate date, and justify your answer with a short essay. You will need to compare the unknown image to one of the images on your study sheet. If you have studied for the rest of the test, you should do well on this part.
SUGGESTION:
Think about how you are organizing your information from your notes and your text. Put it in a framework so you are not working with a large number of unrelated bits of information. The following sheets are designed to help you organize your studying. You may want to enlarge these charts or make your own.
| STUDY SHEETS | STUDY SLIDES | SYLLABUS |