Chronology
What is the term for the dating of art objects?
Chronology
What is "style" in art history?
An artist’s distinctive manner of producing an object; the way a work looks
List three subject categories used by art historians.
Examples: Religious, Portraiture, Landscape — also Mythological, Historical, Genre, Still Life
What does "form" refer to in art history?
An object’s 3-D shape and structure; can refer to 2-D or 3-D works
What is a "patron"?
One who pays for an individual work or employs an artist
Name one type of physical evidence used to date artworks.
Materials used or manufacturing technique
Define "period style" and give one example from notes.
Characteristic artistic manner of a specific time/culture; example: Early Italian Renaissance)
What does "iconography" literally mean and what does it study?
"Writing of images"; it studies the content and symbolism of artworks
Define "composition" in one sentence.
How an artist organizes forms in an artwork to create balance, movement, or focal point
What is the difference between a commissioned work and one purchased after completion in terms of historical context?
Commissioned works reflect the patron’s requests and provide stronger context; purchased works may reflect less influence from the patron
What kind of evidence uses dated written records mentioning a work? Give one example.
Documentary evidence; example: official records noting a commissioned altarpiece
What does "provenance" refer to, and which type of style is tied to it?
Place of origin; Regional style
Give one example of a personification or symbolic figure described in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and what it represents.
Death — an emaciated old man with a pitchfork
What is "hierarchy of scale"? Give a cultural example from the notes.
Enlarging elements considered most important; example: Benin, Nigeria sculptures ca. 1550–1680
Define "commission" in art history.
Hiring an artist to create a specific piece based on a client’s request
Explain how visual evidence can help date an artwork. Give one specific visual clue.
Visual evidence uses identifiable fashions, hairstyles, or depicted people; e.g., a hairstyle specific to a decade
What is a "connoisseur" in art history?
An expert who attributes artworks to the hand of a particular artist
Match the artwork with its subject from the notes: The Peasant Wedding; Mona Lisa; Sunflowers.
The Peasant Wedding — Genre; Mona Lisa — Portraiture; Sunflowers — Still Life
Describe two compositional techniques that create movement.
Using diagonal lines, repeating shapes, directional gaze, or rhythm of forms and color to guide the eye
Give one historical example from the notes of a leader influencing how they were portrayed by artists.
Augustus insisted artists represent him as a young, godlike head of state
Which kind of evidence is considered the most subjective and least reliable for dating art?
Stylistic evidence — because style judgments are subjective and can be influenced by later copies, revivals, or misattribution
Describe how personal style might appear across an artist’s career and name two periods of Picasso listed in the notes.
An artist’s personal style can change and form distinct periods; examples: Blue Period (1901–1904) and Cubist Period (1907–1917)
Explain why some artworks might be said to have "no subject or setting." Provide one artistic reason this could be intentional.
Abstract or non-narrative works focus on form, color, or composition rather than depicting a scene; artists may remove subject to emphasize formal elements or concept
Explain the difference between additive and subtractive sculpture techniques and give one example of each term from the notes.
Additive (casting) builds up material; subtractive (carving) removes material. Notes: casting = additive; carving = subtractive
Using the example artwork in the unit (Thomas Hart Benton’s Cave Spring on the Current River), list: date, style description, subject, artist, and who commissioned it.
Date — 1963; Style — focus on everyday Americans & rural life with bold, exaggerated forms and vivid colors; Subject — Cave Spring on the Current River, artist’s son Lyman depicted; Artist — Thomas Hart Benton; Commissioned by — The New School for Social Research, NYC