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PAU History of Art (Extremadura) study materials
PAU History of Art (Extremadura) study resources

PAU History of Art (Extremadura) practice questions

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Question 1Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

Which architectural element, characteristic of Sumerian temple platforms at sites such as Uruk and Ur, consists of a stepped mud-brick mass with a shrine on top?

  1. Ziggurat Correct answer.
  2. Megaron
  3. Tholos
  4. Propylon

Explanation

The ziggurat is the massive stepped platform of Mesopotamian sacred architecture, built of mud brick with external stairways and a sanctuary at its summit. It developed from earlier raised terraces in Sumer during the fourth and third millennia BCE.

Question 2Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Palette of Narmer is conventionally interpreted as commemorating which event?

  1. The founding of the New Kingdom capital at Thebes
  2. The unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under a single ruler Correct answer.
  3. The signing of a treaty with the Hittites
  4. The construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza

Explanation

The palette shows Narmer wearing the White Crown on one side and the Red Crown on the other, a visual formula for the unification of the Two Lands. The smiting scene and defeated enemies reinforce royal dominion over Lower Egypt.

Question 3Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

In Egyptian art, the convention of showing the head in profile, the eye frontally and the shoulders frontal is usually called:

  1. Contrapposto
  2. Frontality
  3. Aspective representation Correct answer.
  4. Foreshortening

Explanation

Aspective representation combines different viewpoints in one figure so that each part appears in its most characteristic form. It is a defining feature of Egyptian canonical relief and painting rather than a naturalistic perspective system.

Question 4Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

Which material was used for the royal Assyrian reliefs from the palaces of Nimrud and Nineveh?

  1. Alabaster (gypsum) Correct answer.
  2. Limestone
  3. Porphyry
  4. Marble

Explanation

Assyrian palace reliefs were carved on large slabs of gypsum, often called Mosul marble or alabaster in older literature. The relatively soft stone allowed detailed narrative carving of hunts and campaigns.

Question 5Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Lamassu guarding Assyrian palace gateways are best described as:

  1. Seated scribes with crossed legs
  2. Standing female deities holding lotus flowers
  3. Lion-headed demons in flat relief
  4. Human-headed winged bulls or lions carved in high relief and partly in the round Correct answer.

Explanation

Lamassu combine a bull or lion body, wings and a human head, carved with five legs so they appear complete from both front and side. They functioned as protective guardians at palace entrances.

Question 6Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Minoan palace at Knossos is characterized by which feature?

  1. A central court with irregular, multi-storey rooms grouped around it Correct answer.
  2. A rigid grid plan with a forum and basilica
  3. A single axial processional way leading to a tholos tomb
  4. A fortified acropolis with cyclopean walls

Explanation

Knossos is organised around a large rectangular central court with labyrinthine wings, light wells and polythyra. Its sprawling, additive layout contrasts with later Greek axial planning.

Question 7Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Lion Gate at Mycenae is notable because the relieving triangle above the lintel is filled with:

  1. A marble statue of a kouros
  2. A relief of two confronting lions flanking a central column Correct answer.
  3. A mosaic of geometric patterns
  4. A painted frieze of chariots

Explanation

The triangular corbelled opening relieves the weight on the lintel and is closed by a slab carved with two heraldic lions facing a Minoan-style column. The composition shows Minoan iconographic influence on Mycenaean sculpture.

Question 8Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Mask of Agamemnon, found in a shaft grave at Mycenae, is made of:

  1. Gold sheet worked in repoussé Correct answer.
  2. Carved ivory
  3. Cast bronze
  4. Faience

Explanation

The mask is a thin gold sheet shaped by repoussé hammering from behind, with details added from the front. It belongs to the Shaft Grave period of the sixteenth century BCE.

Question 9Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

Which Greek architectural order is distinguished by a column with a plain, cushion-like echinus and no base?

  1. Ionic
  2. Corinthian
  3. Doric Correct answer.
  4. Composite

Explanation

The Doric column rests directly on the stylobate and has a simple echinus and abacus capital. The Ionic and Corinthian orders add bases and more elaborate capitals.

Question 10Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The term 'kouros' designates which type of Archaic Greek sculpture?

  1. A winged victory
  2. A seated philosopher
  3. A draped standing female
  4. A nude standing male youth Correct answer.

Explanation

Kouroi are nude standing male youths, often funerary or votive, characterised by frontal stance, one advanced leg and the Archaic smile. Their female counterparts are korai, which are clothed.

Question 11Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Kritios Boy is significant in the history of Greek sculpture because it shows:

  1. The first clear use of contrapposto, with the weight on one leg Correct answer.
  2. The introduction of bronze casting by the lost-wax method
  3. The earliest use of marble for freestanding statuary
  4. The first depiction of a draped female figure

Explanation

The Kritios Boy shifts the weight onto one leg, tilting the pelvis and relaxing the other leg, which marks the transition from Archaic rigidity to Classical naturalism. The head also turns slightly, breaking strict frontality.

Question 12Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Parthenon's sculptural programme includes a frieze that depicts:

  1. The battle of Marathon
  2. The labours of Herakles
  3. A Panathenaic procession Correct answer.
  4. The abduction of Persephone

Explanation

The continuous Ionic frieze of the Parthenon shows the Panathenaic procession, culminating in the presentation of the peplos to Athena. It is unusual for placing a contemporary civic ritual on a temple.

Question 13Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Athena Parthenos by Pheidias is known to have been:

  1. A painted panel set inside the cella
  2. A chryselephantine cult statue of colossal scale Correct answer.
  3. A marble relief on the temple's east pediment
  4. A bronze equestrian group

Explanation

Pheidias made the cult statue of gold and ivory over a wooden core, standing about twelve metres tall inside the cella. It is known through copies, descriptions and the workshop evidence at Olympia.

Question 14Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Doryphoros of Polykleitos is best understood as:

  1. A demonstration of ideal bodily proportions set out in a written canon Correct answer.
  2. A victory monument for a chariot race
  3. A portrait of a specific Athenian general
  4. A depiction of the god Apollo

Explanation

Polykleitos formulated a canon of proportions and embodied it in the Doryphoros, whose contrapposto and balanced rhythms express rational harmony. The figure is generic rather than a portrait.

Question 15Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Hellenistic sculpture known as Laocoön and His Sons is celebrated for:

  1. Its use of polychromy on marble
  2. Its depiction of athletic competition
  3. Its severe frontal symmetry
  4. Its dramatic serpentine composition and intense expression of suffering Correct answer.

Explanation

The group twists in a pyramid of struggling bodies, with the priest Laocoön crying out as serpents attack. It exemplifies the Hellenistic taste for pathos, movement and theatrical emotion.

Question 16Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

Which Hellenistic trend is exemplified by the Nike of Samothrace?

  1. Rigid frontality
  2. Geometric abstraction
  3. Severe restraint and stillness
  4. Theatrical movement and drapery blown against the body Correct answer.

Explanation

The Nike alights on a ship's prow with wind-driven drapery clinging to the body, creating a dramatic sense of motion. This dynamic, illusionistic treatment is characteristic of Hellenistic sculpture.

Question 17Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Roman technique of building walls with small pyramidal stones set in mortar, producing a textured face, is called:

  1. Opus sectile
  2. Opus caementicium
  3. Opus quadratum
  4. Opus reticulatum Correct answer.

Explanation

Opus reticulatum arranges small stones in a diagonal net pattern over a concrete core. It is one of several Roman facing techniques, alongside opus incertum and opus testaceum.

Question 18Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Pantheon in Rome is covered by:

  1. A coffered concrete dome with an oculus Correct answer.
  2. A groin-vaulted ceiling of brick
  3. A barrel vault in ashlar
  4. A wooden truss roof

Explanation

The dome spans about 43 metres, its interior patterned with coffers that lighten the structure, and the open oculus provides the only major light source. The design unites a cylindrical rotunda with a traditional portico.

Question 19Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Column of Trajan in Rome is decorated with:

  1. A single colossal statue of the emperor at its base
  2. A spiralling continuous relief narrating the Dacian Wars Correct answer.
  3. Painted panels of mythological scenes
  4. Four superimposed sculpted friezes of gods

Explanation

The helical frieze winds upward for some two hundred metres, recording Trajan's campaigns in a documentary narrative. A statue of Trajan originally crowned the column, later replaced by one of Saint Peter.

Question 20Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Ara Pacis Augustae was commissioned to commemorate:

  1. The founding of the city of Rome
  2. The return of Augustus from campaigns in Gaul and Spain Correct answer.
  3. The deification of Julius Caesar
  4. The defeat of Hannibal

Explanation

The altar of Augustan Peace celebrates the emperor's return in 13 BCE and the peace he established. Its processional friezes include members of the imperial family in a calculated display of dynastic continuity.

Question 21Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

In Roman portraiture, the term 'verism' refers to:

  1. Idealisation of the face according to Greek proportions
  2. Meticulous depiction of individual, often aged facial features Correct answer.
  3. The addition of a separate glass-paste eye
  4. The use of coloured marble for skin

Explanation

Veristic portraits emphasise wrinkles, warts and the signs of age and public service, especially in late Republican Rome. The style contrasts with the idealised classicism favoured in some imperial images.

Question 22Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Augustus of Prima Porta presents the emperor in which pose?

  1. As a cuirassed orator with raised arm, modelled on the Doryphoros Correct answer.
  2. As a seated priest with veiled head
  3. As a nude athlete with a strigil
  4. As a horseman in a triumphal procession

Explanation

The statue combines the Polykleitan contrapposto of the Doryphoros with a cuirass and an adlocutio gesture, casting Augustus as an authoritative commander. The breastplate reliefs carry allegorical references to Parthian diplomacy.

Question 23Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The four 'Pompeian styles' of wall painting are conventionally distinguished by:

  1. The presence or absence of figural scenes
  2. The number of pigment colours available
  3. Increasing use of illusionistic architecture and pictorial space Correct answer.
  4. The type of plaster used

Explanation

The styles progress from incrustation imitating masonry to architectural illusionism, then to ornamental panels and finally to a fantasy architecture of framed pictures. They are dated largely by these changing spatial conventions.

Question 24Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Minoan fresco known as the 'Bull-Leaping Fresco' from Knossos depicts:

  1. Herakles capturing the Cretan bull
  2. A bull being sacrificed at an altar
  3. A bull-headed deity enthroned
  4. Acrobats vaulting over a charging bull Correct answer.

Explanation

The fresco shows a figure grasping the bull's horns while others leap over its back, a scene often linked to Minoan ritual. The taureador figures are rendered with the characteristic Minoan elasticity of movement.

Question 25Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Greek temple type described as 'peripteral' has:

  1. A single row of columns running around the whole cella Correct answer.
  2. A circular colonnade
  3. Columns engaged in the cella wall
  4. Columns only at the front porch

Explanation

A peripteral temple is surrounded by a continuous colonnade on all four sides, as at the Parthenon. The term distinguishes it from prostyle, tholos and pseudoperipteral plans.

Question 26Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

In the Votive Statues from the Square Temple at Eshnunna (Tell Asmar), the oversized inlaid eyes are best explained as:

  1. An attribute identifying the figure as a ruler rather than a private donor
  2. A repair technique used when the original gypsum faces were damaged
  3. A convention expressing the perpetual attentiveness of the worshipper before the deity Correct answer.
  4. A portrait likeness intended to preserve the individual features of the donor

Explanation

Sumerian votive figures were placed in temples to stand in for the donor in perpetual prayer, and the exaggerated inlaid eyes and clasped hands serve that eternal attentiveness. They are stylised types, not individual portraits, and the eyes are original to the design rather than repairs or royal insignia.

Question 27Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The Ishtar Gate of Babylon, erected under Nebuchadnezzar II, is built of:

  1. Mud brick faced with glazed polychrome bricks in relief Correct answer.
  2. Carved white marble blocks held with metal clamps
  3. Unfired clay cones pressed into a plastered wall
  4. Limestone ashlar with painted stucco panels

Explanation

The Ishtar Gate uses moulded, brightly glazed bricks over a mud-brick core, with bulls and dragons projecting slightly in relief. Glazed brick was the standard monumental facing in Neo-Babylonian architecture, whereas marble, ashlar and clay-cone decoration belong to other traditions.

Question 28Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The metopes of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia differ from those of the Parthenon chiefly because they:

  1. Were left plain and painted, since the temple's sculpture was concentrated in the pediments
  2. Are carved in high relief and set only along the long flanks of the peristasis
  3. Run continuously around the cella as a single narrative frieze of the Panathenaic procession
  4. Depict the twelve labours of Herakles and the corresponding deeds of Theseus on the pronaos and opisthodomos fronts Correct answer.

Explanation

At Olympia the six metopes over each entrance porch pair the labours of Herakles with the deeds of Theseus, establishing a local hero beside the panhellenic one. The Parthenon instead carries a continuous Ionic frieze around the cella, so the comparison turns on narrative programme and placement rather than on technique alone.

Question 29Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

A Roman architect wishing to span a wide interior without the lateral thrust of a barrel vault would most appropriately employ:

  1. A lintel carried on two columns, leaving the central bay open
  2. A groin vault, whose intersecting barrel vaults direct thrust to four corner supports Correct answer.
  3. A clerestory wall raised above the nave arcade
  4. A concrete wall thickened at the base to resist lateral pressure

Explanation

The groin vault concentrates loads at its four corners, allowing wider open interiors than a barrel vault, which pushes continuously along its whole length. Concrete walls, lintels and clerestories solve other problems and do not in themselves eliminate lateral thrust.

Question 30Ancient and Classical art (Near East, Greece, Rome)

The frieze of the Great Altar of Pergamon is read as a masterpiece of Hellenistic baroque because it:

  1. Uses deep undercutting, diagonal composition and violent torsion to convey the Gigantomachy's physical strain Correct answer.
  2. Abandons mythological narrative in favour of a procession of contemporary citizens
  3. Adopts a calm, frontal and symmetrical scheme that subordinates drama to legibility
  4. Restricts itself to low relief so that the figures barely emerge from the background

Explanation

The Pergamene Gigantomachy exploits deep drilling, dramatic diagonals and contorted bodies to heighten the sense of struggle, the traits usually labelled Hellenistic baroque. Restrained frontality, low relief and non-mythological subjects belong to other phases or monuments.

Question 31Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En el arte paleocristiano, ¿qué tipo de planta caracteriza a las basílicas martiriales construidas sobre la tumba de un mártir, como San Pedro del Vaticano?

  1. Planta de cruz griega con cuatro ábsides enfrentados
  2. Planta central circular con cúpula sobre pechinas
  3. Planta de salón con cubierta de madera y sin ábside
  4. Planta basilical de cinco naves con transepto y ábside Correct answer.

Explanation

La basílica martirial paleocristiana adopta el modelo de nave longitudinal con naves laterales separadas por columnas, transepto para acoger a los fieles ante el relicario y ábside semicircular. San Pedro del Vaticano, iniciada hacia el 320, fija este esquema de cinco naves con transepto continuo, adaptando la basílica civil romana al culto y a la peregrinación.

Question 32Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En los mosaicos del Mausoleo de Gala Placidia en Rávena, la representación del Buen Pastor aparece sentado entre ovejas sobre un fondo azul. ¿Qué recurso compositivo define esta imagen?

  1. Simetría axial con el Pastor como eje y las ovejas distribuidas a ambos lados Correct answer.
  2. Composición en espiral que envuelve la figura central
  3. Escorzo acusado que sitúa al Pastor en primer plano
  4. Perspectiva lineal con punto de fuga central

Explanation

El mosaico organiza la escena en torno a un eje vertical: el Buen Pastor ocupa el centro y las ovejas se reparten simétricamente a sus lados, con una clara jerarquía de escala. Esta simetría axial y el fondo dorado o azul plano subrayan el carácter simbólico y atemporal de la imagen, propio del arte paleocristiano de Rávena.

Question 33Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué elemento arquitectónico caracteriza la cúpula de Santa Sofía de Constantinopla y permite cubrir el amplio espacio cuadrado central?

  1. Una cúpula sobre pechinas y contrafuertes exteriores Correct answer.
  2. Una cúpula sobre trompas y arcos diafragma
  3. Una bóveda de cañón con arcos formeros
  4. Una cúpula gallonada sobre muros de carga continuos

Explanation

Santa Sofía resuelve el paso del cuadrado al círculo mediante pechinas, que son triángulos esféricos en los ángulos. La cúpula se refuerza con contrafuertes y semicúpulas laterales, creando un sistema de empujes escalonado que permite la gran amplitud interior y la iluminación por la base de la cúpula.

Question 34Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En el arte bizantino, ¿qué función cumple el iconostasio en las iglesias de rito oriental?

  1. Alojar las reliquias de los mártires bajo el altar
  2. Separar el presbiterio del resto de la nave y ordenar la iconografía litúrgica Correct answer.
  3. Servir de baptisterio para la administración del bautismo
  4. Sostener la cúpula central mediante arcos de descarga

Explanation

El iconostasio es una pantalla decorada con iconos que cierra el presbiterio y lo separa de la nave, marcando la jerarquía del espacio sagrado. Su programa iconográfico sigue un orden teológico, con el Pantocrátor, la Virgen y los santos distribuidos según su rango.

Question 35Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué característica define el estilo de las miniaturas del Beato de Liébana, como el de la catedral de Gerona?

  1. Naturalismo clásico con modelado suave y fondos paisajísticos
  2. Monocromía en grisalla con predominio del dibujo lineal
  3. Colorido intenso, figuras planas y composiciones abigarradas de fuerte expresividad Correct answer.
  4. Perspectiva atmosférica y uso sistemático del claroscuro

Explanation

Los beatos mozárabes emplean una paleta viva, figuras de contorno marcado y escasa profundidad, con composiciones densas que transmiten un mensaje apocalíptico. La expresividad y la planitud son rasgos distintivos de la miniatura hispánica de los siglos X y XI.

Question 36Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En una iglesia románica de peregrinación, ¿qué solución permite recorrer el ábside sin interrumpir el paso de los fieles hacia las reliquias?

  1. La girola o deambulatorio con capillas radiales Correct answer.
  2. El crucero con cúpula sobre trompas
  3. La nave única con cubierta de madera
  4. El pórtico avanzado con arco triunfal

Explanation

La girola es un pasillo curvo que rodea el ábside y comunica con capillas radiales, permitiendo que los peregrinos circulen sin invadir el presbiterio. Este sistema, junto con las naves laterales y el transepto, define las grandes iglesias de peregrinación como Santiago de Compostela.

Question 37Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué elemento estructural del románico transmite los empujes de la bóveda de cañón hacia el exterior y caracteriza el alzado de las naves?

  1. El contrafuerte adosado al muro Correct answer.
  2. El arbotante
  3. La tribuna con ventanas caladas
  4. El pináculo calado

Explanation

En el románico, el contrafuerte es un refuerzo macizo adosado al muro exterior que absorbe los empujes laterales de la bóveda de cañón. Su presencia explica la pesadez mural y la escasez de vanos, en contraste con la ligereza del gótico.

Question 38Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En el tímpano de la Portada de las Platerías de Santiago de Compostela, ¿qué tema se representa en relación con la iconografía románica del Juicio?

  1. El Descendimiento de la cruz
  2. La Coronación de la Virgen
  3. Las tentaciones de Cristo y la Epifanía Correct answer.
  4. La Anunciación a los pastores

Explanation

El tímpano de las Platerías combina escenas de las tentaciones de Cristo con la Epifanía, dentro de un programa que anticipa el tema del Juicio y la salvación. La portada románica organiza estos relieves en registros con fines didácticos y escatológicos.

Question 39Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué recurso técnico permite al maestro Mateo dotar de naturalismo y movimiento a las figuras del Pórtico de la Gloria?

  1. La policromía monocroma en tonos grises
  2. La talla en bajorrelieve con superficies completamente planas
  3. El uso de mosaico vítreo para simular carnaciones
  4. El tratamiento del plegado de los paños y la individualización de los rostros Correct answer.

Explanation

El Pórtico de la Gloria combina un modelado profundo con pliegues naturales y rostros diferenciados, lo que aporta humanidad y dinamismo a las figuras. Esta evolución hacia el naturalismo anuncia soluciones del gótico en el contexto del románico final.

Question 40Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En la arquitectura gótica, ¿qué sistema permite sustituir el muro macizo por amplios ventanales con vidrieras?

  1. El arco apuntado, la bóveda de crucería y los arbotantes Correct answer.
  2. La bóveda de cañón con contrafuertes adosados
  3. El arco de herradura y la bóveda de arista
  4. La cúpula sobre pechinas y los muros de carga

Explanation

El arco apuntado y la bóveda de crucería concentran los empujes en puntos concretos, que los arbotantes transmiten a los contrafuertes exteriores. Al liberar el muro de su función portante, el gótico puede abrir grandes vanos con vidrieras.

Question 41Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué novedad introduce la escultura gótica respecto a la románica en el tratamiento de las figuras?

  1. La sustitución de la piedra por el mosaico
  2. La frontalidad rigurosa y la ausencia de expresión
  3. El mayor naturalismo, el contraposto y la relación con el espectador Correct answer.
  4. La reducción de la escultura a bajorrelieve decorativo

Explanation

La escultura gótica busca humanizar las figuras mediante proporciones naturales, posturas en contraposto y gestos expresivos. Las portadas se relacionan con el fiel a través de la mirada y la disposición de las escenas, superando la rigidez románica.

Question 42Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En la Sainte-Chapelle de París, ¿qué efecto persigue la arquitectura del muro de vidrieras?

  1. Crear una nave única de gran altura con muros casi sustituidos por vidrio Correct answer.
  2. Organizar un deambulatorio con capillas radiales para peregrinos
  3. Cubrir el espacio con una cúpula central sobre pechinas
  4. Reproducir la planta basilical de cinco naves con transepto

Explanation

La Sainte-Chapelle es un ejemplo del gótico radiante: una nave única elevada cuyos muros se reducen a esbeltos parteluces entre vidrieras. El resultado es un espacio de luz y color que convierte el edificio en un relicario arquitectónico.

Question 43Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué caracteriza la arquitectura de la mezquita de Córdoba en su fase inicial de Abd al-Rahman I?

  1. Arcos dobles de herradura y columnas con capiteles reutilizados Correct answer.
  2. Bóvedas de crucería y arcos apuntados
  3. Muros de sillarejo con cubierta de madera a dos aguas
  4. Cúpula central sobre pechinas y minaretes cilíndricos

Explanation

La mezquita de Córdoba emplea arcos dobles superpuestos -uno de herradura y otro de medio punto- sobre columnas con capiteles reaprovechados de época romana y visigoda. Este sistema permite elevar la cubierta y crear un bosque de arcos característico.

Question 44Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En la Alhambra de Granada, ¿qué recurso decorativo cubre los muros con tramas geométricas repetitivas?

  1. La yesería con mocárabes y lacería Correct answer.
  2. El mosaico vítreo de tradición bizantina
  3. El relieve en piedra con escenas narrativas
  4. La pintura al fresco con escenas figurativas

Explanation

La decoración nazarí se basa en yeserías que combinan lacería geométrica, ataurique vegetal y mocárabes en las bóvedas. Estos elementos crean superficies de gran riqueza táctil y lumínica, sin representación figurativa relevante.

Question 45Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué función cumple el mihrab en una mezquita?

  1. Servir de púlpito para la predicación del viernes
  2. Albergar la fuente para las abluciones rituales
  3. Indicar la dirección de La Meca y señalar el lugar del imán Correct answer.
  4. Marcar la entrada principal del edificio

Explanation

El mihrab es una hornacina en el muro de la qibla que orienta la oración hacia La Meca y señala el lugar donde se sitúa el imán. Su decoración suele ser la más refinada del edificio, como ocurre en la mezquita de Córdoba.

Question 46Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En el arte asturiano, ¿qué edificio prerrománico destaca por su planta basilical de tres naves con cámaras laterales y bóvedas de cañón?

  1. Santa Cristina de Lena
  2. San Julián de los Prados Correct answer.
  3. Santa María del Naranco
  4. San Miguel de Lillo

Explanation

San Julián de los Prados, en Oviedo, presenta planta basilical de tres naves con cámaras laterales y bóvedas de cañón, además de un programa pictórico mural relevante. Es una de las obras clave del prerrománico asturiano.

Question 47Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué rasgo distingue la pintura mural románica de la gótica en cuanto a la representación del espacio?

  1. Ambas renuncian por completo a la profundidad y al modelado
  2. La románica emplea perspectiva lineal; la gótica renuncia a ella
  3. La románica usa fondos planos y jerarquía de tamaño; la gótica introduce volumetría y perspectiva incipiente Correct answer.
  4. La románica se basa en el claroscuro; la gótica en el color plano

Explanation

La pintura románica organiza las figuras sobre fondos neutros, con tamaños jerárquicos y contornos marcados. La gótica avanza hacia el modelado de volúmenes, el estudio de la luz y ensayos de perspectiva que culminan en el Trecento.

Question 48Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En el arte bizantino, ¿qué significa el término 'Pantocrátor' aplicado a la imagen de Cristo?

  1. Cristo niño en brazos de la Virgen
  2. Cristo sufriente en la cruz
  3. Cristo resucitado ascendiendo al cielo
  4. Cristo todopoderoso, representado frontalmente con el libro y la bendición Correct answer.

Explanation

El Pantocrátor es la imagen de Cristo como soberano del universo, con nimbo, libro de la Ley y gesto de bendición. Su frontalidad y monumentalidad expresan la majestad divina en la cúpula o el ábside de las iglesias bizantinas.

Question 49Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

¿Qué característica define la escultura románica adosada a las portadas?

  1. El predominio del desnudo anatómico y del movimiento
  2. La adaptación al marco arquitectónico y la subordinación al mensaje religioso Correct answer.
  3. El bulto redondo exento y la independencia del marco arquitectónico
  4. La ausencia de policromía y de programa iconográfico

Explanation

La escultura románica se concibe como parte de la arquitectura: se adapta al tímpano, las jambas y las arquivoltas, con figuras alargadas y jerarquizadas. Su finalidad es didáctica y religiosa, no la búsqueda de la belleza autónoma.

Question 50Medieval art (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic)

En el gótico, ¿qué tipo de bóveda sustituye a la de cañón románica y permite cubrir tramos rectangulares con nervios de piedra?

  1. La bóveda de horno
  2. La bóveda de crucería Correct answer.
  3. La bóveda de arista
  4. La bóveda gallonada

Explanation

La bóveda de crucería se compone de arcos diagonales que se cruzan y sostienen los plementos, concentrando los empujes en los nervios. Esto permite cubrir tramos de planta rectangular y aligerar los muros, base del sistema gótico.