Transcript
1. Abbot Suger’s primary motivation for the architectural innovations at Church of St. Denis was to
1. (a) bring more light into the church.
2. (b) attract tourists with a new style of architecture.
3. (c) build the tallest church in France.
4. (d) create additional space for royal relics.
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
1. Answer: 1.(a). See pages 391-395. Suger found his inspiration for the new design in religious texts that posited radiant light as a physical manifestation of God; thus, he believed the contemplation of light was a means of illuminating the soul and uniting with God. At St. Denis, the builders used pointed arches, ribbed groin vaults and external buttressing to create an open, flowing space, which was enclosed by non-load-bearing walls of stained glass that flooded the area with light.
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
2. The Sainte-Chapelle (1241-1248) in Paris is an example of what phase of Gothic architecture?
1. (a) pseudo-gothic
2. (b) high gothic
3. (c) flamboyant
4. (d) rayonnant
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
2. Answer: 4.(d.) See pages 413-415. Built by Louis IX to house his collection of sacred relics, the Sainte-Chapelle functions like a monumental reliquary. The upper chamber is almost all stained glass, complimented by rich colors, elaborate patterns and extensive amounts of gold. The term rayonnant derives from the prevalence of raylike bar tracery in buildings of the period.
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
3. What term describes this manuscript, characterized by the combination of biblical scenes and short biblical text with commentary?
1. (a) a Psalter
2. (b) a Bible Moralisée
3. (c) a Book of Hours
4. (d) a Prayer Book
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
3. Answer: 2.(b.) See pages 416-417. This new type of bible was first produced in Paris during the early 13th century. The moralizing text, written in Latin or French, was intended to make biblical accounts more relevant to contemporary audiences. The use of vernacular French suggests the form was used among nonclerical people and intended to provide moral instruction about appropriate personal conduct.
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
4. What was a common subject for luxury objects like this ivory mirror back made in the late gothic period?
1. (a) stories of courtly love
2. (b) the legend of King Arthur
3. (c) the myths of Greece and Rome
4. (d) the Hundred Years War
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
4. Answer: 1.(a). This scene depicting the Siege of the Castle of Love is typical of these works. Here knights storm a castle inhabited by women, who throw roses at their attackers. Its placement on a mirror, an object associated with female adornment, reflects the period’s attitudes about romance, gender and social roles.
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
5. As the text notes, these visually disparate images share what feature of late gothic art?
a. stone as a sculptural material
b. an emphasis on emotional expressionism
c. both function as reliquaries
d. an “s-curve” composition
Davies, et. al., Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
5. Answer: 2.(b.) See pages 421-422 and 434. Both objects show the late gothic period’s rejection of classical form. While the Virgin of Mary exudes an otherwordly elegance in her elongated lines and detached features, the Roettgen Pietà exaggerates the physical effects of pain to evoke an overwhelming sense of horror and pity in the viewer.
