A-level History of Art

Transcription

1 A-level History of Art HART4 Investigation and Interpretation (2) Report on the Examination 2250 June 2013 Version: 1.0

2 Further copies of this Report are available from aqa.org.uk Copyright 2013 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre.

3 History of Art HART4 Investigation and Interpretation (2) General Comments Examiners reported numerous truly excellent responses and it is clear that some very gifted students are taking this specification. The very best answers combined impressive knowledge and understanding with thoughtful engagement with individual objects and buildings. As noted last year, a number of students simply wrote three discrete and unconnected paragraphs on their selected examples. This offered little opportunity to engage directly with the particular demands of the question. The writing of an introduction is the most effective method to clarify thoughts and ideas and to assist in ensuring relevant material is delivered. Some students thought that the simple selection of three relevant works released them of all analytical and discursive obligations and proceeded to write all they knew about those works, with no reference to what the question asked for. This examination is not a memory test of how much factual information can be delivered. Of course, factual data has a significant role to play, but each question is a balance between information and argument or analysis. One of the key ways of differentiating between students is the ability to form and sustain analyses and arguments. Students grasp of historical data was often weak. Although we are not obsessive about dates, there are some historical events and dates of production that are crucial to framing the context and body of an answer - for example, the date of the French Revolution or the years Olympia was produced and exhibited. Some essays did not contain a single date. Many students were unsure of how to categorize centuries, incorrectly believing that the numeration of the century was the same as the chronological date - so a painting produced in 1750 would be considered as a seventeenth century work. It is evident that many centres and students are using on-line resources. Despite Internet sources sometimes being of questionable accuracy, there are undoubtedly some good quality and reliable providers - such as Smarthistory. While providing mostly accurate data and information, it should be noted that such sources rarely address or cover the analytical and interpretative element that most A2 questions contain. There were many instances this year where the sections written by students on works of art or architecture were potted versions of Wikipedia or Smarthistory entries and thus did not directly address the question being asked and much irrelevant information was produced. Once again, there were instances of examples having to be rejected. The reasons for these rejections were mostly because an art work or building was in the wrong genre or category or because it was outside the time period of the topic. Examples are only disallowed after examiners have made every effort to consider eligibility - but in some instances the only decision available is to disallow. For the most part, the standard of English was good and many students demonstrated precision and clarity in presenting their analyses and arguments. However, colloquialisms, slang and even swear words were far more prevalent than in previous years. While the first two betray a poverty of written expression and a lack of understanding of the expectations of an A2 paper, the latter is wholly unacceptable and can never be justified. Some students seemed totally unaware of the possessive apostrophe and the American spelling of centre was all too frequent. A disturbingly large number of students wrote prehaps instead of perhaps. 3 of 7

4 There were one or two cases among more able students where too much time was spent on the first question, not allowing enough time to give a full response to the second. Students should be reminded that they should keep their eye on the clock if they are to do themselves justice. Regrettably, instances of illegible handwriting were even more common this year. While examiners make almost superhuman efforts to decipher everything presented to them, including the use of magnifying glasses and other optical aids, some scripts completely defied all efforts at comprehension. As stated many times since the introduction of this specification, if it cannot be read, it cannot be marked. With the almost exclusive use of word processing for note-taking and course work, the necessity to write by hand during examinations can come as a brutal shock to some students. Centres are therefore encouraged to have students practice writing under examination conditions and if any problems of legibility are encountered, remedial action can be taken. There was also a marked increase in typed scripts. Centres are reminded that these should be double spaced and composed in 12 point font. There were also numerous instances of centres including their institution s name after the centre number. For the sake of complete anonymity, this should not be done. TOPIC 1 ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN THIRTEENTH- AND FOURTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPE 1. Discuss three works of art that are associated with the International Gothic style. Select your examples from at least two countries. You may choose your examples from painting and/or sculpture. Surprisingly, only a single student chose to answer this question. In such circumstances, no comment is appropriate. 2. Characterise the Gothic style of architecture in one European country through an analysis of three religious buildings. All students answering this question chose either England or France. While an impressive knowledge of relevant buildings was often shown, some students wrote about their choices of buildings in a seemingly arbitrary order, with no regard to chronology. This inevitably led to some lack of clarity when the student tried to assess the development of the Gothic. 3. Analyse and discuss three works of art from the thirteenth century and/or fourteenth century that tell a religious story. You may choose your examples from painting and/or sculpture. Simone Martini s Annunciation, various scenes from Giotto s Arena Chapel and the panels from Duccio s Maestà were often analysed and discussed. Almost all students that chose examples of Biblical narrative had some idea of the content of the story and discussed how it was interpreted by the artist. Devotional works such as images of the Madonna and Child were sometimes used as examples. Unfortunately these rarely told a story. 4. Analyse and interpret three examples of sculpture from the thirteenth century and/or fourteenth century that are located on the exterior of religious buildings. Sculptures on the cathedrals of Chartres, Rheims, Notre Dame and Orvieto were discussed, as was Sluter s portal of the Chartreuse de Champrol, Dijon. Many students noted a relationship 4 of 7

5 between the subject of the sculpture and the function of the building. Isolated students wrote about free-standing sculptures that were not located on the exterior of a building. TOPIC 2 ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN SIXTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPE 5. Analyse and interpret three sixteenth-century works of art depicting mythological subjects. You may choose your examples from both painting and/or sculpture. Raphael s Galatea, Titian s Bacchus and Ariadne and Venus of Urbino, Cellini s Perseus and Medusa, Giambologna s Mercury and Bandinelli s Hercules and Cacus were frequently cited. Most students could analyse the works but not every response considered aspects of their meaning or significance. Some students seemed uncertain as to what mythology was and used Biblical examples. 6. Analyse three sixteenth-century sculptures of a single figure and discuss the relationship between form and meaning in each. Michelangelo s David was an overwhelmingly popular choice. Sculptures such as Cellini s Perseus and Giambologna s Mercury were acceptable as the secondary presences of Medusa and Zephyr were only partial and fragmentary. However, a multi figure composition such as Giambologna s Rape of the Sabines was not. Riemenschneider s St Barbara was also regularly chosen though few identified her attributes and association with extreme unction. 7. Discuss the ways in which narrative was conveyed in three sixteenth-century religious paintings. Popular examples were the Entombment and Expulsion of Heliodorus by Raphael, Titian s Assumption of the Virgin, Grünewald s Isenheim Altarpiece and Michelangelo s Last Judgement. Numerous students used scenes from the Sistine Ceiling, which provided varying possibilities to discuss narrative strategies. Some students chose to write about devotional altarpieces or images of the Madonna and Child such as Parmigianino s Madonna of the Long Neck. In such cases narrative was either entirely absent or so minimal as to provide little opportunity to discuss the ways in which the story was told. 8. Compare and contrast two sixteenth-century buildings, one in the Renaissance style; the other in the Mannerist style. Bramante s Tempietto and Giulio Romano s Palazzo del Te were by far the most commonly chosen examples. While almost all students could identify the Renaissance and Mannerist elements of each building, the compare and contrast was sometimes entirely neglected and two separate sections were written which restricted the marks available. TOPIC 3 ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPE 9. Analyse and interpret three eighteenth-century paintings that have a political content and/or meaning. Select your examples from the work of at least two artists. West s Death of General Wolfe, Copley s Death of Major Peirson and David s Marat at his last breath were the most frequently discussed examples. Guérin s Return of Marcus Sextus was also sometimes cited. Although a wide definition of political (with both a capital and 5 of 7

6 small P ) was accepted some students selected examples where the political content and meaning were minimal or even non-existent - Watteau Gersaint s Shop Sign and The Embarkation from Cythera. The political content and or meaning of portraits was explored with varying degrees of success. 10. Compare and contrast the depiction of character and status in two male portraits produced by different artists in the eighteenth century. You may choose your examples from painting and/or sculpture. Hogarth s Captain Coram, David s Marat, Rigaud s Portrait of Louis XIV and Grand Tour portraits by Pompeo Batoni were frequently used as examples. Reynolds Commodore Keppel was also often cited. Practically all students made reference to the pose being derived from ancient sculpture, usually given as the Apollo Belvedere. Recent research has proved that the pose is actually based on a version of a statue of Apollo by Pierre Legros. Almost all students could identify relevant male portraits but not all addressed the instruction to compare and contrast the depiction of character and status and wrote two separate sections which restricted the marks available. 11. Analyse and discuss three works of art, each by a different artist, that depict subjects from ancient history and/or mythology. You may choose your examples from painting and/or sculpture. From ancient history examples included Vien s Cupid Sellers, David s Oath of the Horatii and Brutus. From mythology examples included Boucher s Diana after the bath, Watteau s Embarkation from Cythera, Girodet s Endymion and Canova s Theseus and the Minotaur and Cupid and Psyche. Contemporary amorous subjects, such as Fragonard s Swing were not allowed. 12. Analyse three religious buildings built in the eighteenth century and discuss the stylistic characteristics of each. Few students responded to this question and those that did often analysed Hawksmoor s churches as well as Austrian and Southern German Baroque/Rococo buildings. The general level of architectural analysis was competent at best and discussions of the stylistic elements often lacked precision. TOPIC 4 ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BETWEEN 1900 AND Analyse and interpret three representations of the female nude produced during this period. You may choose your examples from painting and/or sculpture. Picasso s Demoiselles d Avignon and Matisse s Blue Nude (Souvenir of Biskra) were overwhelmingly popular choices. Giacometti s Woman with her throat cut was also selected by many students. A number of students wrote prepared essays on Primitivism, with varying degrees of success. While many students could recall their examples very well, not all moved from description to analysis and interpretation. The meaning and significance of the female nude was mostly written about terms of stylistic experimentation and innovation (Cubism, Fauvism and the influence of non-european art forms) and as objects of male desire or repulsion. Examples where the female nude played a minor part in the overall composition offered limited opportunities - Kirchner s Self-Portrait as a Soldier. 6 of 7

7 14. Discuss the ways in which ideas of speed and movement were conveyed in three paintings and/or sculptures of this period. Almost all students attempting this question focussed on Futurist examples, although there were some instances of works by Robert Delaunay being discussed. While the ambitions of the Futurists were known very well, not all students made close consideration of how speed and movement were conveyed by such devices as the blurring, distortion and overlapping of shapes and forms, the influence of Marey s and Muybridge s photographs of sequential images, and the intensification of the Post-Impressionist palette. Some students used prints on paper, clearly not paintings. 15. Examine three works of art and demonstrate how they are associated with Expressionism and/or Dada. Roughly equal numbers answered on Expressionism or Dada and a good proportion selected a combination of works from both movements. Kandinsky, Matisse and Kirchner were the most cited Expressionist artists and Duchamp, Schwitters, and Ernst were most often discussed as Dada artists. Some Dada examples had clear connections with Surrealism, but as long as an understanding of how such objects were associated with Dada was given, they were accepted. However, some examples, such as Oppenheim s Fur Breakfast, were unequivocally Surrealist. A number of students simply took for granted that their selected examples were connected to Expressionism or Dada and merely described them. 16. Analyse three buildings that were built during this period and discuss how new construction methods and materials were used. Le Corbusier s Villa Savoye appeared in practically every answer. Many students simply repeated his comment that the house is a machine for living in and recounted his five points of architecture, but then did not relate these to the design, construction and appearance of the building. An astonishing number of students were unable to spell Corbusier correctly. Other frequently cited buildings were the Casa Battló, the Chrysler Building and Falling Water. New methods and materials were often used in conjunction with more traditional building materials and techniques and so a wide range of examples was acceptable. A few students cited the Farnsworth House, which in 1945 did not exist as a building. A small minority of students cited unrealised projects. As the question included the words buildings and built, these were poor examples to choose. Mark Ranges and Award of Grades Grade boundaries and cumulative percentage grades are available on the Results Statistics page of the AQA Website. Converting Marks into UMS marks Convert raw marks into Uniform Mark Scale (UMS) marks by using the link below. UMS conversion calculator 7 of 7