Question 1

In Velázquez's painting Las Meninas,why do we believe that the cross on Velázquez's chest was added later?

Accepted Answer

In Diego Velázquez's renowned painting "Las Meninas," which depicts a complex scene with the artist himself included among the royal attendants of the Infanta Margarita, Velázquez is shown with a red cross on his chest. This cross is the emblem of the Order of Santiago, a prestigious chivalric order in Spain.

Art historians believe that the cross was added to the painting after its original completion for a few reasons:

1. Historical records: Velázquez was not awarded the knighthood of the Order of Santiago until 1659, which was three years after the painting was completed in 1656. This suggests that the cross was not part of his attire at the time he was working on the painting.

2. Paint analysis: Technical analysis of the painting can reveal differences in the layering of the paint and varnish, which might indicate that the cross was added at a later date. If the cross shows a different aging process or varnish layers compared to the rest of the painting, it would support the idea that it was not part of the original work.

3. Artistic context: Velázquez was a court painter to King Philip IV of Spain, and his position and favor with the king were significant aspects of his life. The addition of the cross to the painting after he received the honor would have been a way to update the painting to reflect his elevated status and the recognition he received from the king.

4. Patron's request: It is also possible that the addition of the cross was made at the behest of King Philip IV or another patron as a way to honor Velázquez posthumously or to acknowledge his knighthood in a lasting and public way.

The cross's addition to "Las Meninas" serves as a testament to Velázquez's achievement and standing at the royal court, and it is a detail that art historians often point to when discussing the painting's complex interplay of reality, representation, and status.

Question 2

The Taj Mahal in India was built by Shah Jahan in the Mughal period from 1632 to 1648 as a(n) ____________ to his favorite wife.

Accepted Answer

Mausoleum

Question 3

Why and how did seventeenth-century art theorists neglect and underestimate still-life painting? Who excelled at seventeenth-century still-life painting?

Accepted Answer

Seventeenth-century art theorists neglected and underestimated still-life painting because they viewed it as a lesser form of art compared to historical, religious, or portrait painting. Still-life painting was often seen as lacking the intellectual or moral significance that other genres of painting possessed. Additionally, still-life painting was often associated with commercial or decorative purposes rather than being seen as a serious form of artistic expression.

Despite this neglect and underestimation, there were still artists who excelled at seventeenth-century still-life painting. One notable artist was the Dutch painter Willem Heda, who was known for his meticulously detailed and realistic still-life compositions. Another prominent still-life painter of the time was the Flemish artist Jan Davidsz de Heem, who was celebrated for his rich and vibrant depictions of flowers, fruits, and other objects. These artists, along with others, helped to elevate the status of still-life painting and demonstrate its artistic merit during the seventeenth century.

Question 4

Baroque painting is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

A)  strong lighting. 
B)  asymmetrical compositions. 
C)  powerful effects of movement. 
D)  dramatic subject matter. 
E)  all of these. 
A)  strong lighting. 
B)  asymmetrical compositions. 
C)  powerful effects of movement. 
D)  dramatic subject matter. 
E)  all of these.

Question 5

Bernini's Baldacchino at St.Peter's solved the problem of providing:

Accepted Answer

A)  shade for the Pope. 
B)  a focal point for the interior. 
C)  an entrance to the dome. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these. 
A)  shade for the Pope. 
B)  a focal point for the interior. 
C)  an entrance to the dome. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these.

Question 6

Rubens' landscapes exhibit the same tumultuous energy and visual excitement as his:

Accepted Answer

A)  allegorical pictures. 
B)  religious pictures. 
C)  mythological pictures. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these. 
A)  allegorical pictures. 
B)  religious pictures. 
C)  mythological pictures. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these.

Question 7

Caravaggio's Christ with the Doubting Thomas is arresting because:

Accepted Answer

A)  the actions of the figures are convincing. 
B)  the strong light gives sharp physical presence. 
C)  the figures are naturalistic. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these. 
A)  the actions of the figures are convincing. 
B)  the strong light gives sharp physical presence. 
C)  the figures are naturalistic. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these.

Question 8

What do the fountain sculptures and gardens of the park at Versailles have to say about Louis XIV? What was the purpose of the park and palace at Versailles?

Accepted Answer

The fountain sculptures and gardens of t

Question 9

In countries that remained Catholic in the seventeenth century,the Counter-Reformation led to the production of contemplative Baroque secular images.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Evidence in many Vermeer paintings suggests that he used a camera obscura.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

In essence,what is Artemisia Gentileschi saying in her 1630 painting titled Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting?

Accepted Answer

In her 1630 painting titled Self-Portrai

Question 12

On the interior of the dome for San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane,Borromini creates a floating,levitating sensation by:

Accepted Answer

A)  adding hidden windows at the base. 
B)  leaving an oculus open to the sky. 
C)  actually stretching the dome high upward. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these. 
A)  adding hidden windows at the base. 
B)  leaving an oculus open to the sky. 
C)  actually stretching the dome high upward. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these.

Question 13

On the Taj Mahal,the lotus dome that crowns the building sits atop a high drum.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

During the seventeenth century in China,the Ming Dynasty fell and was succeeded by the ____________ Dynasty,which ruled until 1912.

Accepted Answer

The answer of During the seventeenth century in China,the Ming...

Question 15

Seventeenth-century art in Japan was dominated by a spirit of spontaneous action and revolutionary innovation.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

In the Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq,Rembrandt offered a radical solution to the problem of the militia portrait,which was to:

Accepted Answer

A)  create spontaneous groupings. 
B)  emphasize pictorial drama and focus. 
C)  subordinate the democratic ideal. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these. 
A)  create spontaneous groupings. 
B)  emphasize pictorial drama and focus. 
C)  subordinate the democratic ideal. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these.

Question 17

In his sculpture of David,Bernini chooses to portray the instant of:

Accepted Answer

A)  celebratory triumph. 
B)  deepest thought. 
C)  greatest action. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these. 
A)  celebratory triumph. 
B)  deepest thought. 
C)  greatest action. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these.

Question 18

In the painting Arcadian Shepherds,Poussin treats even death as:

Accepted Answer

A)  colorful and energetic. 
B)  philosophical and contemplative. 
C)  tragic and dramatic. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these. 
A)  colorful and energetic. 
B)  philosophical and contemplative. 
C)  tragic and dramatic. 
D)  all of these. 
E)  none of these.

Question 19

In the seventeenth century,landscape became a truly popular theme in the ____________ for the first time in the history of Western art.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the seventeenth century,landscape became a truly...

Question 20

In Rembrandt's etching of Christ Preaching,a child is visible in the foreground doing what?

Accepted Answer

A)  considering Jesus's words 
B)  arguing with Christ 
C)  drawing in the dust 
D)  all of these 
E)  none of these 
A)  considering Jesus's words 
B)  arguing with Christ 
C)  drawing in the dust 
D)  all of these 
E)  none of these

In Velázquez's painting Las Meninas,why do we believe that the cross on Velázquez's chest was added later?

The Taj Mahal in India was built by Shah Jahan in the Mughal period from 1632 to 1648 as a(n) ____________ to his favorite wife.

Why and how did seventeenth-century art theorists neglect and underestimate still-life painting? Who excelled at seventeenth-century still-life painting?

Baroque painting is characterized by:

Bernini's Baldacchino at St.Peter's solved the problem of providing:

Rubens' landscapes exhibit the same tumultuous energy and visual excitement as his:

Caravaggio's Christ with the Doubting Thomas is arresting because:

What do the fountain sculptures and gardens of the park at Versailles have to say about Louis XIV? What was the purpose of the park and palace at Versailles?

In countries that remained Catholic in the seventeenth century,the Counter-Reformation led to the production of contemplative Baroque secular images.

Evidence in many Vermeer paintings suggests that he used a camera obscura.

In essence,what is Artemisia Gentileschi saying in her 1630 painting titled Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting?

On the interior of the dome for San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane,Borromini creates a floating,levitating sensation by:

On the Taj Mahal,the lotus dome that crowns the building sits atop a high drum.

During the seventeenth century in China,the Ming Dynasty fell and was succeeded by the ____________ Dynasty,which ruled until 1912.

Seventeenth-century art in Japan was dominated by a spirit of spontaneous action and revolutionary innovation.

In the Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq,Rembrandt offered a radical solution to the problem of the militia portrait,which was to:

In his sculpture of David,Bernini chooses to portray the instant of:

In the painting Arcadian Shepherds,Poussin treats even death as:

In the seventeenth century,landscape became a truly popular theme in the ____________ for the first time in the history of Western art.

In Rembrandt's etching of Christ Preaching,a child is visible in the foreground doing what?

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Exam 9: Seventeenth-Century Art

In Velázquez's painting Las Meninas,why do we believe that the cross on Velázquez's chest was added later?

The Taj Mahal in India was built by Shah Jahan in the Mughal period from 1632 to 1648 as a(n) ____________ to his favorite wife.

Why and how did seventeenth-century art theorists neglect and underestimate still-life painting? Who excelled at seventeenth-century still-life painting?

Baroque painting is characterized by:

Bernini's Baldacchino at St.Peter's solved the problem of providing:

Rubens' landscapes exhibit the same tumultuous energy and visual excitement as his:

Caravaggio's Christ with the Doubting Thomas is arresting because:

What do the fountain sculptures and gardens of the park at Versailles have to say about Louis XIV? What was the purpose of the park and palace at Versailles?

In countries that remained Catholic in the seventeenth century,the Counter-Reformation led to the production of contemplative Baroque secular images.

Evidence in many Vermeer paintings suggests that he used a camera obscura.

In essence,what is Artemisia Gentileschi saying in her 1630 painting titled Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting?

On the interior of the dome for San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane,Borromini creates a floating,levitating sensation by:

On the Taj Mahal,the lotus dome that crowns the building sits atop a high drum.

During the seventeenth century in China,the Ming Dynasty fell and was succeeded by the ____________ Dynasty,which ruled until 1912.

Seventeenth-century art in Japan was dominated by a spirit of spontaneous action and revolutionary innovation.

In the Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq,Rembrandt offered a radical solution to the problem of the militia portrait,which was to:

In his sculpture of David,Bernini chooses to portray the instant of:

In the painting Arcadian Shepherds,Poussin treats even death as:

In the seventeenth century,landscape became a truly popular theme in the ____________ for the first time in the history of Western art.

In Rembrandt's etching of Christ Preaching,a child is visible in the foreground doing what?

Experiencing Art

Prehistoric Art

Ancient Art

Later Ancient Art

Art From 200 to 1000

Art From 1000 to 1400

Fifteenth-Century Art

Sixteenth-Century Art

Eighteenth-Century Art

Nineteenth-Century Art

Art From 1900 to 1949

Art From 1950 to 1999

Art in the New Millennium

Filters