A-LEVEL HISTORY OF ART

A-LEVEL HISTORY OF ART Unit 3 Investigation and Interpretation (1) Report on the Examination 2250 June 2017 Version: 1.0

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General comments While there were many excellent scripts, a number of examiners noted that this year there was often a less rigorous approach to answering questions directly, with students not being selective with their knowledge in order to respond to the specific demands of questions. This is linked to an increasing tendency for students to write three unrelated passages about their chosen examples. Many essays began My three examples are Such an approach rarely yielded high quality responses. Some form of introduction, even a rudimentary one, is invaluable in focusing the student s attention on the subject at hand. In numerous cases whole centres wrote their two essays using the same three examples and, in some instances, appeared to be adhering to a set writing formula and given content. This sometimes seemed to impact on students opportunities to demonstrate their engagement with, and understanding of, the broader themes on an individual level. Only very occasionally were inappropriate examples used or the rubric infringed. As has often been noted in the past, it is vital for students to identify their examples clearly, thus enabling the examiner to recognize them immediately. Where generic titles are used, such as Virgin and Child, The Crucifixion or Portrait of a Lady, or where multiple versions exist, it is in the student s best interests to supply additional information (location, date, etc) to enable unequivocal identification by the examiner. Poor and illegible handwriting continues to be an issue. If a student s handwriting is so poor as to be illegible, the centre should explore the possibility of word-processing. As is always stated, if something cannot be read, it cannot be given credit. There was also an increase in the number of students failing to complete the front cover correctly, and the Paper Reference boxes at the top left were frequently not completed. As has been the case in previous years, the instruction to Leave at least two lines between each answer was sometimes ignored. This space is essential for the examiner to write their comments and to place the total mark for that question. Some students also failed to write the question number in the right hand margin. While the essay content almost always made it clear which question was being attempted, this was not always the case. Centres are urged to ensure that these instructions are fully understood and implemented by students. The Word Processor Coversheets and following typed pages on some student s scripts contained the centre s name. In the interests of anonymous marking, centres should only ever identify themselves by their centre number. Topic 1 Art and Architecture in Fifteenth-Century Europe Question 1 Discuss how three fifteenth-century paintings and/or sculptures convey a narrative. Select your examples from the work of at least two artists. Mostly appropriate examples were used and there were no examples of a student using three works by the same artist. There were some top quality answers to this question; in particular analyses of Botticelli s mythological works were very impressive. The National Gallery version of Uccello s Battle of San Romano was also a popular choice but not always so well answered, often 3 of 8

because of a less secure knowledge of its narrative relevance to contemporary society. Leonardo s Last Supper was also popular and fairly well answered, although some students did not expand on the symbolic meaning of the groupings and composition. Very few students used sculpture in their responses, although there were a few excellent responses using Verrocchio s Doubting Thomas and Donatello s David. A number of students struggled to answer the question directly; they could give an account of the narrative but could not analyse how the narrative was conveyed. Question 2 Fifteenth-century religious paintings often include donors. Examine three appropriate examples and comment on the purpose and meaning of the inclusion of the donors in each. There were some very good responses to this question, often including excellent contextualisation and understanding of the theme. A clear knowledge of the patrons, their positions within the compositions and motives for inclusion was demonstrated. A wide selection of examples was used from both Italy and Flanders. The Brera Altarpiece by Piero della Francesca was a very popular choice, as was the Strozzi Altarpiece by Gentile da Fabriano, the Holy Trinity by Masaccio and the Madonna and Chancellor Rolin by Van Eyck. At times the examination of symbolism was very impressive, notably in Chancellor Rolin. A few examples of non-religious works were used; these were inadmissible. Question 3 Discuss the subject matter and the use of materials in three fifteenth-century sculptures of a single figure. Select your examples from the work of at least two artists. Surprisingly, this was not a popular question. For those students who did choose it, lack of knowledge of the subject matter often contributed to modest achievements. For example, while St John the Baptist by Ghiberti was a frequent choice, few students could provide a secure knowledge of the significance of this Biblical figure. Equally, while Mary Magdalene by Donatello was also regularly cited, few students gave an account of her role in the Bible and of her theme of repentance. Donatello s David was another very popular choice and mostly answered competently. Examples in marble, bronze and wood were discussed, and almost every student could distinguish between carving and modelling. There were also a very few examples of a student using the same sculptor for all three examples and of multi-figure sculptures (usually Michelangelo s Pietà) being discussed which were not admissible. Question 4 How were architects from this period influenced by classical antiquity? Refer to three fifteenthcentury buildings in your answer. This architecture question was not as popular as the other questions in the section and responses were generally not of a particularly high standard. Michelozzo s Palazzo Medici, Florence, and San Andrea, Mantua by Alberti were the most popular buildings discussed. Weaker responses struggled to identify classical characteristics in their chosen buildings, and often architectural analysis was limited, with many students struggling to use correct vocabulary. Often neither Vitruvius nor Alberti were referenced. However, there were a few outstanding responses which explored three appropriate examples, confidently contextualising the interest in classical antiquity and identifying borrowings and inspirations while also demonstrating an impressive command of architectural vocabulary. 4 of 8

Topic 2 Art and Architecture in Seventeenth-Century Europe Question 5 Analyse three seventeenth-century paintings of religious subjects. How is religious purpose conveyed in each work? Select your examples from the work of at least two painters. This was an enormously popular question which elicited some top quality responses, often with precisely focused contextual knowledge about the Counter Reformation and the Council of Trent. As a result, religious purpose was often very well accounted for. Less impressive responses only discussed religious purpose in very vague and general terms. The very best answers cited patrons and could therefore suggest how specific religious orders or commissioners had exercised an effect on the artworks. The works of Caravaggio, Rubens and Poussin proved to be the most popular selections. Question 6 Analyse three seventeenth-century painted portraits, each involving two or more sitters and discuss how character and identity are conveyed in them. Portraits by Van Dyck and Rubens were most often analysed to answer this popular question. In a few instances there were examples used that had a single named sitter accompanied by one or more unnamed subsidiary sitters. This often proved to be self-limiting since the character and identity of those other figures could not be established and discussed. Las Meninas was another popular painting to be analysed, and with this complex artwork students often got side-tracked into a speculative discussion of the meaning of the image rather than considering character and identity. Question 7 Discuss how narrative and movement are conveyed in three seventeenth-century sculptures. Select your examples from the work of at least two sculptors. Bernini s overwhelming position in the sculpture of this century was reflected by the fact that examples of his work, Pluto and Persephone, Apollo and Daphne, and the Ecstasy of St Teresa were most usually cited as two of the selected examples. In some students responses the focus on narrative (ie naming the narrative, its source and the artist s fidelity to the source) and on movement was marginalised in favour of giving simple descriptions or focusing on extraneous matters. A significant number of students opted for self-limiting examples such as Montañes s Christ of Clemency, Fernandez s Dead Christ or Maderno s St Cecilia, where movement was not a dominant feature in the depiction of the subject. Question 8 Analyse three seventeenth-century religious buildings and discuss how each communicates faith and belief. This was a relatively popular and well-answered question. The better responses provided a synoptic overview of the developments in religious architecture during this period and accurate architectural descriptions, and focused consistently on faith and belief in their analyses. As with Question 5, students who could cite patrons and locations often focused their responses better to 5 of 8

the demands of the question. Both Catholic and Protestant churches were used as examples, including works by Bernini, Borromini, Pietro da Cortona, Wren and Hendrick De Keyser. Topic 3 Art and Architecture in Nineteenth-Century Europe Question 9 Discuss the subject matter and meaning of three nineteenth-century works of art that depict mythological and/or classical subjects. You may choose your examples from painting and/or sculpture. For this popular question a great variety of examples were used, including Cabanel s Birth of Venus, Ingres Oedipus and the Sphinx, Goya s Saturn devouring his son, and Delacroix s Death of Sardanapalus. Works by Canova were most often cited as sculptural examples: Paolina Borghese as Venus Victorious, Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker and the Three Graces. Sometimes students focused exclusively on the subject matter of their chosen artworks and marginalised a consideration of meaning, or vice versa. Some students chose literary or biblical scenes, notably Manet s Olympia, which were inadmissible for this question. Question 10 Analyse and interpret three nineteenth-century paintings that provide social and/or political commentaries on contemporary society. Most students who chose this topic answered this question. Examples such as Delacroix s Liberty leading the people and Goya s 3rd May 1808 were used very regularly but, while many students demonstrated a good knowledge of form, they were rather shaky on the political context and therefore interpretation was limited. In many cases the responses did not articulate a clear social and/or political subject of the artwork. Often writing was very descriptive but not focused on the social/political commentary of the artist. The phenomenon of the Haussmannization of Paris was often discussed by the analysis and interpretation of paintings by Caillebotte such as Le Pont de l Europe and Paris Street, Rainy Day. Millet s Gleaners and Courbet s Stonebreakers, Manet s Bar at the Folies-Bergère and Gericault s Raft of the Medusa were other popular choices. Question 11 Discuss the subject matter and composition of three nineteenth-century sculptures containing at least two figures. This question was relatively less popular but was generally well-answered, with students clearly identifying the subject matter and discussing how the sculptor approached the challenge of multi-figure compositions. Works by Rodin and Canova were frequently chosen. Better responses also involved discussion of contextual issues. 6 of 8

Question 12 Discuss the relationship between design and function in three nineteenth-century public and/or institutional buildings. Paxton s Crystal Palace, Pugin s St Giles, Barlow s St Pancras Train Shed and Barry and Pugin s Houses of Parliament were all very popular selections. In some instances students failed to articulate a clear function of the building, or distracted themselves by writing at length about building materials and processes rather than about function and design. However the best responses made intelligent links between design and function, and suggested how the approach of architects of the nineteenth century in this regard was often innovatory. Some students evidently identified this as a new methods and materials question and wrote prepared essays on that topic. While these could be successful, space was often taken up by technical descriptions that were unrelated to the question s demands. Topic 4 Art and Architecture in Europe and the United States of America between 1946 and 2000 Question 13 Examine three works of art and demonstrate how each is associated with either Abstract Expressionism or the YBAs (Young British Artists). Responses were almost equally divided between Abstract Expressionism and the Young British Artists. The key to the best responses was to be able to define the characteristics of the movement and then to link these to an examination of representative examples. This was sometimes seen as an invitation for a general discussion of the YBAs, where students discussed the shock value of the work, patronage, the optimism of the Cool Britannia era and role of Goldsmith s College and other art schools. The most frequent examples examined were Tracey Emin s My Bed, Jenny Saville s Plan and a selection of works by Damien Hirst. Abstract Expressionism was not always well defined, but most students described the processes of making the art. The most able students were able to examine both Colour Field and Action Painting. Works by De Kooning, Pollock and Rothko were the most frequently discussed. There were some students who chose to analyse three works by the same artist and this tended to result in very self-limiting answers. Question 14 Analyse and interpret three painted and/or sculpted representations of the human form made during this period. This was another popular question. Unfortunately, many did not focus on the representation of the human form and described the sculptures without any attempt to analyse or interpret them. Giacometti s Pointing Man was a popular work and the most able students linked the sculpture to ideas of Existentialism and to the post-world War Two world. The distortions of the human form by Bacon and Freud were often discussed and interpreted. A number of works by the YBAs were also cited, frequently addressing the gender issues found in works by Jenny Saville or Sarah Lucas. 7 of 8

Question 15 Analyse and interpret three artworks concerned with female experience, each made by a different artist or artists during this period. This question elicited the best responses in this section. Students had been well-prepared and wrote with conviction and knowledge. However, some found it difficult to pin down what the female experience was/is and just wrote generally about Feminism. It was pleasing to see a range of media as examples; as well as conventional painting and sculpture, performance art, photography and video and installation art were all used. More successful answers gave some consideration of female experience early on in the essay and then closely related these to their chosen examples. Emin s My Bed and Jenny Saville s Plan were frequently analysed, as well as work by Judy Chicago, Yoko Ono, Marina Abramović, Sarah Lucas and Cindy Sherman. Question 16 Discuss the characteristics of Brutalist architecture through an analysis of three buildings. This was not a popular question, with only a handful of students attempting it. Some excellent definitions of the term were given and a number of students also identified the social context and ambitions of this architectural style. Surprisingly few students mentioned Le Corbusier, and mostly British examples were used, such as the Trellick Tower, Hunstanton Secondary Modern School and the Royal National Theatre. Use of statistics Statistics used in this report may be taken from incomplete processing data. However, this data still gives a true account on how students have performed for each question. 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 8 of 8