SECTION TEST TWO
The Art of the Middle Ages
(Chapters 11-13, 16-18)
CHRONOLOGY
Place the following works in chronological order, putting the letters corresponding to the
oldest work in the first blank, the next oldest in the next blank, and so on.
A. Coronation Gospels of Charlemagne 1. ______
B. Royal Portal, Chartres Cathedral 2. ______
C. Lindisfarne Gospels 3. ______
D. purse, Sutton Hoo 4. ______
E. bronze doors, St. Michael, Hildesheim 5. ______
F. Transfiguration, St. Catherine, Mt. Sinai 6. ______
G. Anastasis, Church of Christ in Chora 7. ______
H. Mosque Selim II, Edirne 8. ______
I. Junius Bassus Sarcophagus 9. ______
J. Tympanum, St-Pierre, Moissac 10. ______
Answers:
1. E
2. H
3. D
4. C
5. F
6. B
7. I
8. J
9. A
10. G
MUTIPLE CHOICE
11. The Sasanians became the heirs to which of the following groups?
a. Romans
b. Persians
c. Parthians
d. Greeks
Answer: c. Parthians Knowledge
12. In the Dura painting, Samuel Anointing David, David is depicted with an Imperial attribute indicating his royalty. Which of the following is that attribute?
a. a purple toga
b. a laurel-leaf crown
c. the cuirass of Augustus
d. the armor of Hadrian
Answer: a. a purple toga Analysis/Comprehension
13. Why is the Christian community house in Dura-Europas a small house?
a. No churches were constructed in Dura-Europas
b. No large dwellings were constructed in Dura-Europas
c. Christians did not enjoy the patronage of the Roman state
d. No shrines or holy structures were allowed in Dura-Europas
Answer: c. Christians did not enjoy the patronage of the Roman state Analysis/Comprehension
14. Which of the following celebrations would likely have been performed in the dining room of the Christian community house?
a. Baptism
b. marriage between the faithful
c. discussion of letters of Paul
c. Eucharist
Answer: d. Eucharist Analysis/Comprehension
15. The Roman State persecuted the Christians. Which of the following would account for this persecution?
a. The Christians represented a threat to imperial authority.
b. The Christians fomented revolt against the Roman state
c. The Romans knew the Christians would be their downfall
d. The Romans didn’t approve of anything originating in Judea
Answer: a. Christians refused to pay homage to the State’s gods Comprehension/Analysis
16. Theodora’s presence in the mosaic program of San Vitale indicates her importance and unique position within the court of Justinian. Specifically, the representation of the Three Magi on the border of her robe suggests that she ______.
a. Belongs here as Empress
b. Belongs in the elevated company
c. Belongs here as wife to Justinian
d. Belongs here because of her patronage
Answer: b. Belongs in the elevated company Analysis/Comprehension
17. Justinian’s position on the north wall of the apse of San Vitale is somewhat ambiguous. He appears to be slightly behind the bishop, yet the paten he carries overlaps the bishop’s arm. This indicates the ______.
a. unimportance of Bishop Maximianus
b. importance of the State
c. force of Justinian’s character
d. balance between Church and State
Answer: d. balance between Church and State Analysis
18. Who was the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire?
a. Leo III
b. Constantine XI
c. Basil XI
d. Alexius X Comnenus
Answer: b. Constantine XI Knowledge
19. How did the fall of Byzantium and a flight of scholars in 1453 affect scholarship in Italy?
a. the renewed interest in Byzantium
b. the formalization of political treaties with Byzantium
c. the renewed interest in the West
d. the fall of Byzantium
Answer: d. the fall of Byzantium Comprehension
20. In an attempt to create absolute political and religious unity, Byzantine emperors forced Orthodoxy on their diverse population. Based on this it can be said ______caused the loss of the Eastern provinces.
a. religious intolerance
b. poor administration
c. corrupt councils
d. shared power
Answer: a. religious intolerance Analysis
21. Which of the following supports Muhammad’s decision to preserve the Kaaba?
a. It was the Islamic religion’s symbolic center
b. It was the home of Muhammad
c. It was the site of Muhammad’s ascendancy into Paradise
d. It was the location of Muhammad’s divine inspiration
Answer: a. It was the Islamic religion’s symbolic center Analysis/Comprehension
22. What was the Hegira?
a. the Islamic conquest of Egypt
b. Muhammad’s flight from Mecca
c. Muhammad’s vision of Gabriel
d. the rock in the mosque at Mecca
Answer: b. Muhammad’s flight from Mecca Knowledge
23. What is the name of the monument that was erected as a tribute to Islam and represents the fall of Jerusalem to the Muslims in 692?
a. the Crucifixion
b. the Sacrifice of Isaac
c. the Baptism of Christ
d. the Betrayal of Judas
Answer: b. the Sacrifice of Isaac Analysis
24 Elaborately decorated Merovingian fibulae have been excavated from graves. Which of the following best describes the significance of Merovingian fibulae?
a. emblems of prestige
b. simple jewelry
c. strictly utilitarian
d. holy objects
Answer: a. emblems of prestige Analysis/Comprehension
25. Which of the following describes the significance of the two silver spoons, “Saulos” and “Paulos”, discovered in the Sutton Hoo burial?
a. They were part of the ritual burial ceremony
b. They represented St. Paul’s conversion to Christianity
c. They represented St. Paul’s need for utilitarian objects
d. They were left as gifts
Answer: b. They represented St. Paul’s conversion to Christianity Comprehension/Analysis
26. The Sutton Hoo purse has two groupings each of a man standing between two lions. This can also be found in what earlier culture?
a. Sumer
b. Classical Greece
c. Etruscans
d. Late Roman Empire
Answer: a. Sumer Application
27. Early 11th Century England was briefly part of what empire?
a. Merovingian
b. Carolingian
c. Danish
d. Celtic
Answer: c. Danish Knowledge
28. In the later Middle Ages religious books were created for the private devotions of the laity based on readers used by the monks. These books contained prayers to be read at specific times during the day and were popularly known as ______.
a. Books of Devotions
b. Books of Sacramentaries
c. Books of Hours
d. Books of Benedictionals
Answer: c. Books of Hours Analysis/Comprehension
29. Which of the following was a more complex and efficient system of vaulting that admitted more light and was aesthetically pleasing?
a. elevating the side walls with additional buttressing
b. eliminating the upper galleries or tribunes
c. covering the nave with groin vaults
d. eliminating the ambulatory from the apse
Answer: c. covering the nave with groin vaults Analysis/Comprehension
30. Of the following characteristics, which is not relevant to Italian church architecture?
a. verticality
b. thick, massive walls
c. continuous barrel-vaulting
d. groin-vaulting
Answer: a. verticality Application/Knowledge
31. On the right face of the trumeau is a prophet, displaying his scroll containing his prophetic vision. He is placed immediately below the depiction of Christ the Judge. This is another instance of the pairing of the Old and New Testament themes. This iconographic tradition was established during which of the following periods?
a. Early Christian
a. Early Byzantine
b. Carolingian
d. Hiberno-Saxon
Answer: a. Early Christian Analysis/Comprehension
32. The prophet, identified either as Jeremiah or Isaiah, is tall and thin. The animation of his body reveals the inner passion of his soul. In which of the following churches does this figure appear?
a. St.-Sernin, Toulouse
b. St.-Génis-des-Fontaines
c. San Miniato, Florence
d. St.-Pierre, Moissac
Answer: d. St.-Pierre, Moissac Comprehension
33. The Norman defeat of the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 united all of England and most of France under one rule. The battle leading to this momentous occasion was the topic for the Bayeux Tapestry. Who commissioned this work?
a. Duke William of Normandy
b. Bishop Odo
c. Harold, Earl of Wessex
d. Mathilda of Normandy
Answer: b. Bishop Odo Knowledge
34. How does the Moralia in Job conform to Bernard of Clairvaux’s ban on figural art?
a. It conforms because the duel between the knight and dragon is allegorical
b. It conforms because the initial letter forms a reverential salutation
c. It conforms because it was produced before the ban was initiated
d. It conforms because it is a letter from St. Gregory to Bishop Leandro
Answer: c. It conforms because it was produced before the ban was initiated Knowledge/Comprehension
35. Which of the following best describes a characteristic of Gothic architecture?
a. Its rounded arches allowed for greater height
b. Its interior is permeated with light
c. Its interior is narrow and long windows are eliminated
d. Its side aisles are now included in order to broaden the interior
Answer: c. Its interior is permeated with light Analysis/Comprehension
36. The façade of St-Denis consists of a double-tower westwork. Which of the following could have been the influence for this façade?
a. St-Sernin, Toulouse
b. Ste-Madeleine, Vézelay
c. Notre-Dame, Paris
d. St-Étienne, Caen
Answer: d. St-Étienne, Caen Comprehension/Analysis
37. Which of the following became a standard feature of French Gothic architecture?
a. fan vaulting
b. Perpendicular style
c. rose window
d. rounded arches
Answer: c. rose window Comprehension
38. Who may have conceived the complicated iconographical portal program for Chartres Cathedral?
a. Abbot Suger
b. Thierry of Chartres
c. St. Bernard of Clairvaux
d. St. Thomas Aquinas
Answer: b. Thierry of Chartres Knowledge
39. Which of the following describes the theme of all three capitals in the doorway of the west portal (Portal Royal) of Chartres Cathedral?
a. The episodes from the life of the Virgin
b. The episodes from the Old Testament
c. The episodes from the Passion
d. The episodes from the life of Christ
Answer: d. The episodes from the life of the Christ Analysis/Comprehension
40. How was the decoration of the Chartres Cathedral portal sculptures distinctly different from other Romanesque portal sculptures?
a. the exclusion of scenes from the Passion
b. the inclusion of the Old Testament Kings
c. the prominence of Mary in the portal program
d. the inclusion of scenes from the life of Christ
Answer: c. the prominence of Mary in the portal program Comprehension/Analysis
41. What was the mission of the Knights Templar?
a. To protect the estates of knights participating in the Crusades
b. To protect the pilgrim passage between St-Sernin in Toulouse and Santiago de Compostela in Spain
c. To protect the pilgrims visiting Christian shrines in the Holy Land
d. To be the personal guard of Bernard of Clairvaux
Answer: c. To protect the pilgrims visiting Christian shrines in the Holy Land Knowledge
SHORT ANSWER
42. How does the painting from Dura Europos reflect Late Antique art?
Answer: The important figures are presented as larger than the other characters. For example, in the episode of Samuel anointing David, our attention is focused on Samuel who is larger than the other figures. The purple toga distinguishes David. It represented the imperial color and a motif favored by the Romans. Analysis
43. How does the Christian community house located in Dura-Europas reflect the state of Christianity within the Roman Empire?
Answer: This house is small and secondhand in contrast to the grand temples the Empire supported. Without the approval of the Roman state these communities remained small and attracted the most impoverished. The Christian appeal centered on the equality of judgment in the afterlife. The consequence of birth was immaterial. This was especially important to the converts. Analysis
44. What is the significance of Old St. Peter’s church?
Answer: Constantine was both Roman emperor and defender of the Christian faith. In order to keep the peace between his Christian and pagan constituencies he order the construction of churches on the city’s outskirts. Old St. Peter’s was the most magnificent of these Early Christian churches. It was constructed on what was believed to be the spot of Peter’s grave. This church became the visible sign of the acceptance of Christianity by the Empire. Analysis/Comprehension
45. The phrase “consequences of iconoclasm” has significant meaning for the history of Byzantine art. Assess the Iconoclasm and its subsequent impact on Byzantine art.
Answer: The damage that this period (726-843) had on the art of Byzantium cannot be overstated. For 117 years no depictions of Christ, the Virgin, or the saints were allowed. Even more damaging was the concerted effort made by the iconoclasts to destroy countless works from the Early Byzantine period, hence the fragmentary knowledge of this early artistic period. Evaluation
46. Summarize the significance of the Fourth Crusade.
Answer: Latin crusaders sacked Constantinople at Venetian instigation in 1203–04. This devastation considerably weakened Byzantium and fragmented the Empire. During the next two centuries, the empire disintegrated even more and eventually, in this weakened state, fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, thus ending the reign of the “Rome of the East.” Evaluation
47. Assess the contributions of Justinian during the Early Byzantine period.
Answer: His reign marks the end of the Late Roman Empire and the beginning of the Byzantine Empire. He briefly restored the Roman Empire’s power and extent by driving the Ostrogoths from Italy and the Vandals from North Africa. He contained the Bulgars on the northern frontier and checked the Sasanians on the eastern borders. He ambitiously set forth a building program which defined the Byzantine architectural style henceforth. He supervised the codification of Roman law. Analysis
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48. Evaluate the statement, “the Vladimir Madonna is a masterpiece of its kind.”
Answer: This icon is the product of centuries of stylized abstraction containing the characteristic traits of the Byzantine icon. But the conventional depiction has become a more tender and personalized image of the Virgin and Child. In this icon, the Virgin is transformed into the “Virgin of Compassion”, pressing her cheek against her son’s infusing the icon with a mother’s love. The icon is also infused with the pathos of her knowledge of her son’s subsequent sufferings. Evaluation
49. How does the decorative design of the Toul Cathedral silk fragment differ from the architectural decorative design of mosques? How did it come to Toul Cathedral?