Essay Questions
Rome and Etruscan Exam

Take a moment to brainstorm answers for these questions, as you will see these topics on the exam and one of these will be the 30 minute essay question on Thursday.

Remember the following:
Read, read and mark, read again.
Read the question once, slowly.
Read it again, this time marking the requirements of the question and the key words.
Read it one more time since misreading the question is AWFUL.

Watch for words like “specific works.” If you see that, you MUST use specific pieces of art. Naming artists is NOT ENOUGH. It’s OK if you don’t know the exact title – do the best you can with a title and then describe it. What matters is that your AP reader know what piece you are referring to.

Remember that “formal elements” are all of the things you know how to analyze:
Light, Line, Color, Composition, Shape, Texture, Space

USE the KEY WORDS as you write your essay.

TAKE A MINUTE TO THINK. A minute or two of thought and planning could end up saving you time. If it helps you to jot a few notes, do it in a shorthand, abbreviated way. Are there ways you can break down the question into parts?

MAKE AT LEAST THREE STRONG POINTS ABOUT EACH PIECE.

BE SAFE, NOT SORRY. WHEN YOU ARE CHOOSING YOUR EXAMPLES, CHOOSE ONES YOU ARE POSITIVE MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE QUESTION. I would rather read a superb essay on the Palette of Narmer, even if I’ve already read 1000 on the same piece, than have to give a low score to a well-written essay using a poor choice.

USE SPECIFIC DETAILS. SHOW ME WHAT YOU MEAN.

BUDGET YOUR TIME. Remember that readers are NOT allowed to treat any outlining as part of your written essay. We can’t say, “Oh, she didn’t finish, but this outline shows what she would have said.” We can only grade what is written in actual prose. Use COMPLETE SENTENCES.

ACTIVELY ADDRESS ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION. No matter how beautifully you answer the rest of it, you usually won’t get more than 4 out of 9 points for leaving out part of the question. OUCH!

DON’T DO CHEESY CONCLUSIONS THAT MERELY REPEAT. They are EXTREMELY annoying to AP readers. Not only do they not earn you any more points, they waste the reader's time.

REREAD YOUR ESSAY.
Imagine that you are the AP grader.
Could you read the handwriting? If not, fix it!
Are there words missing?
Do you have an appropriately serious tone? NO JOKING. AP graders have no sense of humor.
Don’t praise or criticize the artwork you’re discussing. Just discuss it objectively. Make no value judgments, either positive or negative. Your task is to show your knowledge and analytical skills, NOT your TASTE.


Sample Essay Questions

Possible Topics:

Greek Temple vs Roman Temple: Analyze how this Roman temple is similar to and different from a Greek temple.
Etruscan Temple vs Roman Temple
Greek Sculpture vs Roman Sculpture

30 min: Throughout history, technological developments have enabled artists and architects to express ideas in new ways. Choose and fully identify two works of art or architecture and the specific technological development that made each work possible. For each work, analyze how the technological development enabled the artist or architect to express ideas in new ways.

30 min: Major changes in architectural form and function are often made possible by new construction methods or new materials. Discuss such changes in two different art historical periods. Use specific buildings as examples to support your discussion.

30 min: Buildings can relate to their sites in various ways. Choosing two buildings, discuss one building in terms of its physical relationship to its site and the other in terms of its symbolic or historical relationship to its site. Identify each building by name and period.

30 min: Many cultures use architecture to reinforce power and authority. Choose two works of architecture from different cultures, identifying each work as fully as possible. At least one work must come from beyond the European tradition. Discuss how each work conveys power and authority.

30 min: The human body is often highly stylized or abstracted in works of art. Fully identify two works from different cultures in which the body has been highly stylized or abstracted. At least one of your choices must be a work from beyond the European tradition. Discuss how the stylization or abstraction of each figure is related to cultural and/or religious ideas.

30 min: Representations of the natural world or motifs from nature are found in the art of all times and places. Choose and fully identify two appropriate works of art from two different cultures. One of your choices must be from beyond the European tradition. Explain why and how each work uses representations of the natural world or motifs from nature.