Art 111 Essay Questions: Exam #1

3. FOUR of the following essay questions will appear on the exam, you will be asked to answer ONE of the questions. (HINT: if you study at least two of the questions listed below at least one of the questions you study will appear on the exam).

4. Prepare an outline for 2 essay questions on one 3x5 card.

5. Bring your 3x5 index card containing the main points you want to discuss in the essay you choose. You may also bring a photocopy of the image you choose to discuss.

6. When writing the essay in class it should average between 2-3 pages and include a brief introduction, the body of the essay (a detailed discussion of works of art) and a brief conclusion. Use your textbooks and lecture notes to study for the essay. You should not go to outside sources. (40 points)

ESSAY QUESTIONS YOU MAY ONLY USE ONE 3x5 DURING THIS PORTION OF THE EXAM

1. Analyze the representation of women in during the early modern period. How are “standards of femininity” represented in visual images through formal elements as well as content. What was the purpose of the image and how was it supposed to function within society as a whole. What comments were the artists making about women by representing in a particular manner. Include in your essay a discussion of the formal elements the artist emphasized in the image to make the purpose clear to the viewer. Use at least 3 examples.

2. Analyze the life and works of 3 female artists. Begin with a brief discussion of their backgrounds, the obstacles they had to overcome to become artists, who aided them in achieving their goals (if known) and how social standards of their time affected their style or content. Then progress into a discussion of one work by each artist, including an analysis of formal elements and content and how each enhances one another.

3. Discuss the works of three artists who claim to create “modern” works of art. Discuss in detail each artist’s specific ideologies (beliefs) as they relate to painting, sculpture, etc. and how these ideas manifest in their individual works of art. Also contrast each individual artists style with the other artists chosen for the question. Make sure you include a discussion of content and formal elements in your answer.

3. Discuss works that demonstrate feeling/emotions. Romantic painters highlighted “raw” emotions unencumbered by the reason of the neoclassical painters. In your essay choose three artists and discuss, through formal elements and content, how they portray these “raw” emotions that Neoclassical painters found objectionable.

4. Compare and contrast Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Discuss at least 3 examples highlighting how they are an example of each style. You must demonstrate that you understand the characteristics of each style. Include in your answer a discussion of content as well as how the visual elements emphasize or are an example of that style.

5. Critique how artists’ transform landscapes into Romantic subjects. Choose works by three artists and discuss their individual approach to landscape painting. Include ideas landscapes embody and how artists’ represent those ideas. Use at least 3 examples in your answer.

6. Discuss the elements of Realism. Choose at least 3 Realists artists and discuss the political and social circumstances surrounding the creation of their works and how your examples (in terms of formal elements as well as content) illustrate the characteristics of Realism. Include how the formal elements communicate the political or social commentary of the artist.

7. Discuss early Modern art in the late 19^th century. When did this period begin and who was the “Father of Modern art”. Discuss this artist’s style as well as the style of at least 2 artists from two different periods following the birth of modern art. In your answer you must emphasize the artists’ style, content, visual elements, motivations, influences, materials used and what the artists’ hoped to “capture” in their works.

8. Analyze the Impressionist movement. Choosing three artists discuss their differing approaches to impressionism as a style. In your answer include formal elements, subject matter, and content (if any). Also include a brief discussion of the changing social/cultural atmosphere in which the artist is working/

9. The Impressionists (French and American) chose to portray the bourgeoisie in various locations and activities. Compare and contrast three Impressionists who focus on the bourgeoisie and discuss the artist intent, formal elements, and content and the comment the artist is making about this particular class as represented in the image. Use at least three works of art in your answer.

10. Compare and contrast the work of the Post-Impressionists (Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat, and Cezanne). Discuss each individual artist and their approach to modern art, their influences, and their followers. Choosing at least one example from each discuss the work in terms of its visual elements and how it is a distinct example of that artist’s individual style. Remember to include any personal views on art (the artist’s or your own) when discussing the work.

11. Analyze the various forms of symbolism (the symbolic use formal elements, i.e. color, line, body, etc.) in Modern art. Choosing at least three different artists, discuss how they emphasize the symbolic and to what effect. Focus on the artist's intentions, meaning, influences, and technique when applying symbols and connect the formal elements to content.