Introduction
1. The ancient Egyptian depiction of the journey of the Sun god Re (0.0.1) was painted on ________.
a. a vase d. the wall of a tomb
b. stone e. copper
c. a coffin
2. The ancient Egyptian artist who painted The Journey of the Sun God Re (0.0.1) on a coffin chose
his subject because ________.
a. Egyptians were interested in astronomy
b. he believed in ghosts
c. it expresses beliefs in an afterlife
d. Egypt has a very sunny climate
e. the person buried in the coffin was a priestess of the god
3. Niagara Falls was a popular subject for North American artists in the second half of the nineteenth
century, because it symbolized:
a. America’s territorial expansion d. the beauty and power of nature
b. the presence of God in nature e. all of the other answers
c. grandeur
4. Louise Nevelson’s work White Vertical Water is made of ________.
a. carved marble d. plastic
b. painted wood e. metal
c. plaster
5. Louise Nevelson’s work White Vertical Water is a realistic depiction of fish in a river.
6. Agnolo Bronzino’s painting of Eleonora di Toledo is categorized as fine art.
7. Agnolo Bronzino’s portrait Eleonora di Toledo and Her Son Giovanni conveys a sense of:
a. wealth d. high status
b. power e. all of the other answers
c. luxury
8. A graphic designer usually intends to please one individual patron.
9. Identify four recognizable brand logos, at least one that is pictorial only, with no text. Do you think
the logos without text are less or more successful? Why?
10. El Anatsui’s artworks reference both ________ and ________.
a. traditional Pakistan . . . the digital age
b. colonial Africa . . . modern consumerism
c. ancient Greek sculpture . . . contemporary photography
d. Persian miniature painting . . . cell phones
e. ancient weaving techniques . . . modern factory conditions
11. Which of the following can be considered part of visual culture?
a. roadside billboards d. oil paintings
b. television commercials e. all of the other answers
c. comic books
12. The oldest museum in America, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, was founded in:
a. 1405 d. 1905
b. 1605 e. 1955
c. 1805
13. Choose a museum that is close to your home town or in your state. Research its history: in what
year was it founded, and by whom? Did a private collector donate artworks to the museum? Did it
always function as a museum, or did it have other uses too, for example as an art school? Write a
short essay on your findings.
14. The work now known as the Watts Towers was in fact given a different title by its creator. That
title was ________.
a. LA Towers d. Nuestro Pueblo
b. Skyscrapers 1 and 2 e. it had no title originally
c. Found Objects
15. The city of Los Angeles disapproved of Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers.
16. Even though Jeff Koons did not make the sculpture Rabbit with his own hands, it is considered his
work because ________.
a. he designed it d. it was modeled on his pet rabbit
b. he chose its color e. none of the other answers
c. he displayed it in his home
17. Jeff Koons made his sculpture Rabbit himself.
18. In Japan, ceramic tea bowls were appreciated not just for their color, shape, and pleasing irregular
surface, but as part of the experience of sipping tea.
19. In Japan, ceramic tea bowls were appreciated because ________.
a. of their shape, subtle colors, and irregular surface
b. they kept the tea warm
c. they were symmetrical and smooth to touch
d. they did not break easily
e. they were expensive
20. In ancient Peru, people placed a high value on objects made of wool. In Japan, ceramic tea bowls
are a greatly esteemed form of art. What form of art do you consider to be the highest? Explain
your answer. Do you prefer this art form for personal reasons, or do you think you are influenced
by the opinions held by your culture or society? What has your answer got to do with such
concepts as beauty, value, and craftsmanship?
21. The pose, facial expression, and landscape background of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa
communicate to the viewer a mood of ________.
a. romance and love d. worry and unease
b. anger and jealousy e. none of the other answers
c. calm and introspection
22. Leonardo da Vinci was an artist who rigidly stuck to traditional methods and rules of art.
23. In her portrait by Titian, Isabella d’Este wears a turban, embroidered clothes, and a white ermine
stole to ________.
a. demonstrate her age d. express her religious beliefs
b. emphasize her wealth and good taste e. flatter Titian
c. please her husband
24. Titian’s portrait of Isabella d’Este does not portray Isabella as she really looked.
25. Gustav Klimt’s portrait of Adele Bloch–Bauer was famous partly because it was ________.
a. looted by the Nazis d. discovered in an attic
b. very old e. previously unknown
c. owned by a movie star
26. Gustav Klimt’s portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer was typical of his portraits of the wives and sisters
of ________.
a. Nazi rulers d. foreign tourists
b. German scientists e. important politicians
c. Austrian businessmen
27. Compare and contrast the portraits of Isabella d’Este (0.0.12) and Adele Bloch-Bauer (0.0.13).
Describe the similarities and differences you see in the portrayal of the women. How did Titian
and Klimt communicate the wealth and social standing of their subjects? How true to life do you
think these portraits are?
28. The self-portrait of the Dutch artist Rembrandt stolen from the Swedish National Museum was one
of many that the artist painted on copper.
29. The rarity of an artwork, and its value, are often closely related.
30. The medium of Marc Quinn’s Self is:
a. real human hair d. the artist’s toenail clippings
b. clay e. wood
c. the artist’s own blood
31. Girl with a Pearl Earring was painted by this Dutch artist.
a. Rembrandt d. Johannes Vermeer
b. Vincent van Gogh e. Albrecht Dürer
c. Jan van Eyck
32. The original painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe is housed in a basilica at the base of Tepeyac hill,
Mexico, but many people keep their own image of her at home or in their vehicle.
33. Artist Ai Weiwei was arrested by Chinese government officials in 2011, just three years after he
had been involved in designing the stadium for the Beijing Olympics.
34. When artists are censored it usually stops them from producing any further work.
35. The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius is recognizable as a man on a horse. This is called a/an
_______ artwork.
a. abstract d. non-objective
b. two-dimensional e. primitive
c. representational
36. José de Rivera’s sculpture Infinity can be described as non-objective because its subject matter is
________.
a. recognizable d. unrecognizable
b. difficult e. abstract
c. three-dimensional
37. Allan Houser’s work Reverie is:
a. abstract and non-objective d. abstract and not representational
b. abstract and two-dimensional e. none of the other answers
c. abstract and representational
38. Why do we presume that the head of a woman from Benin (0.0.22) was made for someone
wealthy?
a. because it was made from rare ivory
b. because it strongly resembles the Queen
c. because it has a price carved on the back
d. because it was made to be shown in a museum
e. it was definitely not made for anyone wealthy
39. The head of a woman from Benin (0.0.22) shows the influence of European trade routes, as well as
having local spiritual significance.
40. When conducting a formal analysis of a work of art, you would probably want to consider the
artist’s use of:
a. color d. scale
b. texture e. all of the other answers
c. emphasis
41. David Hockney emphasized the figure of Peter Schlesinger in his artwork Portrait of an Artist
(Pool with two figures), using:
a. scale: Peter appears to be taller than the hills in the background
b. color: Peter’s red jacket stands out
c. implied line: the edges of the pool seem to point toward Peter
d. all of the other answers
e. none of the other answers