1. AS 2.2/ 91201
Examine the significance of features of work(s) of art in
the classical world
4 credits - external exam

2. What you can study
Any works of classical art or architecture (from about 500 BCE in Greece through to the fall of the Roman empire).
We will study a select group of Greek and Roman buildings, sculptures, wall-paintings and mosaics.
You will choose 3-4 favourite works to study for the exam.

3. What you need to know
In the exam, you will need to be able to discuss the following aspects of your artworks:
• form and function(the shape or structure of the building/ art work and its purpose, how useful it is for its specific purpose)
• style (the way the artist/ architect has depicted their subject matter or decorated their building, and how this style evolved)
• techniques (the methods the artist/ architect used to make their work)
• the artistic, historical, mythological, religious, and/ or social context of your art-work (e.g. its subject matter and what that shows about people's beliefs and values at the time)

4. Exam Questions
You will get four questions to choose from in the exam - only answer ONE!
Each question will focus on one of the four themes, but they may still cover multiple themes (e.g. a question that is mainly on form and function might still expect you to discuss the historical context of the work).
Choose carefully - look at all parts of the question before selecting the best one. The later parts of the question will often give you the chance to get an M or E.
Spend about ½ hours on this paper, including time spent choosing the question and planning your answer

5. Questions Here is an example of an exam question from 2012:
ART IN CONTEXT
Examine the subject matter of one or more classical art works in their context*.
In your answer:
• Explain the subject matter of your chosen art work(s) in their classical context*.
• Examine the methods used by the artist to tell the story.
• Draw developed conclusions about the messages the artist was trying to communicate and / or the impressions people in the classical world may have received when viewing the art work.
*Note: context can be artistic, historical, mythological, religious and / or social.
See how this question is about context but it also asks about methods/ techniques?

6. TIPS The question also says:
“You may answer using extended paragraphs or bullet points.
You may support your points with diagrams and / or annotated sketches where appropriate.
You must support your answer with relevant evidence from one or more named classical art works or buildings.”
Answer each bullet point one at a time, order, so that you don’t miss anything out.
Keep your intro short and sweet – this isn’t an essay. Just identify your artwork and maybe your main idea.

7. Make sure you at least attempt to answer all parts of the question – otherwise you limit yourself to an A – for M you need to attempt all parts an answer most of them well. To get E, you will need to answer all parts well.
Start your answer by clearly identifying your art/ architectural work – state its name, the artist or architect (if known), where it came from and when it was made. You can also give its size if you know it (E.g. “The Parthenon, the main temple on the Acropolis in the centre of Athens, constructed around 450 BCE on the orders of Pericles…”).
Only use sketches/ diagrams if really necessary to illustrate a point, and don’t spend too long on them. If you do draw a diagram/ sketch, refer to it in your answer (e.g. “In this diagram you can see how the temple was designed to be symmetrical along its north-soith axis, with a false porch at the rear…”)

8. Use relevant terms, and use them accurately, e. g
Use relevant terms, and use them accurately, e.g. “The Doryphoros uses a contraposto stance, so that his left leg is straight, bearing most of his weight, while his right leg is relaxed, causing his hips to tilt…”). Use art-historical terms and also Greek/ Latin words where you can.
Give plenty of detail about your work to show how well you know it. Remember, your art work is your primary evidence.
Show a clear understanding of the classical world – how people thought at the time.

9. Excellence exemplar
Your teacher will hand out an Excellence exemplar from 2012 for the question you were shown earlier. In the exemplar, highlight:
An example of where the student has clearly identified their art work
An example of where they have described their work in detail/ shown detailed knowledge of it
An example of where they have used relevant art-historical terms, with examples from the art work
An example of where they have discussed the religious context of the art work (how it shows people’s ideas about the gods)

10. Can you mark this exemplar?
Your teacher will hand out another exemplar. In this exemplar,
Make notes to say what you think the student has done well and what they haven’t done well
Say what mark you think they got, by looking at the attached marking schedule

11. This student got an A(3) – a low Achieved
Good points:
They showed a clear knowledge of the work by describing what is shown in the painting in detail/ describing the background myth thoroughly
They used relevant examples from the artwork to prove their points (e.g. when they were talking about the X-shaped composition, they described how Pentheus’ knee and his mother’s arm formed a diagonal)
Needed to improve on:
Identifying their artwork – they only gave the title, not the location or any other details. They did not even say it was a wall-painting till they were well into their answer.
Use of terms – they did not even use the term ‘composition’ when describing the layout of the figures. They did not use any Greek or Latin terms
Maybe spent too long on planning
Did not clearly focus on the three parts of the question

12. Studying for AS 2.2
As you are progressing through this topic, you should choose at least 4 art works that you particularly like to study in detail. Make sure you choose a range of works (e.g. a piece of architecture, a sculpture, a wall-painting and a mosaic) as this will allow you to choose a good question. Some questions can be very specific and can only be answered with a particular type of work, such as this question from 2013:
OR: QUESTION FOUR: TECHNIQUES
Choose EITHER bronze statues OR wall paintings OR mosaics to answer this question.
Examine the techniques used by classical artists to make art that depicts a story.
In your answer:
explain the subject matter of a classical art work(s) in your chosen medium
examine the techniques used by the artist(s) to make your chosen art work(s)
draw developed conclusions about the advantages of using these techniques to depict a story in classical art in your chosen medium.

13. Flash Cards
Make sure you have detailed notes for your chosen works on each of the 4 aspects (form and function, techniques, context and style).
Make flash cards for each of your chosen art works on the 4 aspects (e.g. 16 flash cards in total, 4 for each work).