Question 1

Renaissance and Reformation
-Where are the doors above located?

Accepted Answer

The doors above are the Gates of Paradise created by Lorenzo Ghiberti at the beginning of the 15th century for the Cathedral of Florence. To create them, Ghiberti used the lost wax casting method employed by the ancient Romans, a method lost since antiquity. When a first set of doors was complete, Ghiberti was asked to create a second set. The artistry of the second doors was superior to the first, with greater perspective and a more natural yet grand setting of the scenes. When Michelangelo saw the second set of doors, he dubbed them "the Gates of Paradise." They are considered a monument to the age of humanism.

Question 2

Renaissance and Reformation
-Who was the preeminent architect of the Italian Renaissance?

Accepted Answer

Brunelleschi was the one of the foremost architects of the Renaissance. Prior to the Renaissance, domes had not been built since classical Rome, and architects had limited understanding of how to construct the feature. When Florence built a new cathedral around the beginning of the 15th century the plans called for a very large dome, even larger than the dome on the Roman Pantheon. Brunelleschi figured out how to build the dome for the cathedral in a titanic accomplishment of the age that took most of his adult life to accomplish. He is also credited with discovering linear perspective, the quality of artwork that makes a scene realistic by making objects in the background smaller than objects in the foreground, as they naturally appear to the human eye. The concept literally added a new dimension to paintings, elevating the two-dimensional scenes characteristic of medieval art to three-dimensional scenes that were realistic in their setting.

Question 3

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which technique, developed during the Renaissance, does da Vinci's Last Supper demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

Da Vinci's Last Supper demonstrates the technique of linear perspective. Not only is there perspective in the scene, with the walls of the room receding into the background, all of the lines in the painting- from the walls, the ceiling, the staging of the human figures, their heads and hand gestures, and the horizon in the background- all recede to one vanishing point: the face of Jesus. Rather than receding to a horizon, they recede to the focal point of the work. It communicates a message about the subject more than merely depicting a scene, which didn't occur in painting prior to da Vinci.

Question 4

Renaissance and Reformation
-The work above is named:

Accepted Answer

The work is named David (1440s), the first nude male sculpture created since antiquity. The biblical figure of David, depicted in Donatello's bronze as standing on the head of Goliath, was the symbol of the city of Florence, which was why he was such a recurrent figure in Renaissance sculpture. While the work was commissioned by the Medic is, Donatello incorporated visual elements into the statue to demonstrate (in a very low-key way) that the Medic is thought they could possess the symbol of Florence (signifying that they could possess Florence itself).

Question 5

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which artist created the work above?

Accepted Answer

Michelangelo's David was sculpted in the early 16th century to sit on top of the cathedral in Florence. However, the marble statue was so large upon completion (standing 17 feet tall and weighing six tons) that they elected to not to attempt to hoist it to the roof. David was the symbol of the city of Florence, which is why he was such a recurrent figure in Renaissance sculpture (Verrocchio and Donatello both sculpted David before Michelangelo). Michelangelo's version demonstrates a few important themes, though, primarily the extent of Greek and Roman influence on the Renaissance. Though David was a biblical figure, his appearance is unmistakably classical, not Judaic or contemporary to the Renaissance.

Question 6

Renaissance and Reformation
-What type of artwork is Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam, and where is it located?

Accepted Answer

Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam is a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, the center of the Catholic world. The artist painted numerous frescoes for the Sistine Chapel, but this is the most famous. It was painted around 1511 but is rife with complex symbolism that scholars are still trying to decipher. One critical aspect of the work, though, is the depiction of Judaic figures (like Adam, David and Jesus) with Greco-Roman aesthetics rather than Judaic or contemporary Renaissance aesthetics, which demonstrates the degree to which the classical world influenced Renaissance artists. Moreover, since these images were some of the first images (and certainly the most accomplished images, as of the Renaissance period) of biblical figures, they became the most copied and emulated biblical imagery in the Western world, leading to Christian iconography and a popular mindset that envisions the subjects in a manner that is not historically accurate.

Question 7

Renaissance and Reformation
-All of the following artists contributed to St. Peter's Basilica or the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican except:

Accepted Answer

Leonardo da Vinci was not involved in the construction or decoration of either papal structure. Donato Bramante was responsible for the architectural design of St. Peter's Basilica, which Michelangelo later executed. The latter also contributed to the most heralded frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, where Sandro Botticelli also did some of the paintings. Raphael created many of the frescoes in St. Peter's- the rooms in which they hang are called the Raphael Rooms.

Question 8

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which of the following were not characteristic of Italian Renaissance architecture:

Accepted Answer

Flying buttresses were not characteristic of Renaissance architecture. In fact, they were banned by the city of Florence altogether. Like everything else in the Italian Renaissance, architecture was informed by the style of ancient Rome and Greece, and the hallmarks of classical architecture were incorporated into Renaissance works. Rounded buildings and domes made a comeback. Columns were once again employed in the traditional Greco-Roman fashion. Meanwhile, symmetry and geometric balance were the foundation upon which Renaissance works were created, forgoing the vertical emphasis of the Gothic period.

Question 9

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which Renaissance astronomer was the first to dispel the geocentric model?

Accepted Answer

Nicolaus Copernicus, a Catholic cleric, was the first Renaissance thinker to refute the geocentric model of cosmology, instead advocating a heliocentric model, in which the Earth revolved around the Sun. Copernicus spent the last decades of his life working on the theory, trying to work out mathematical proofs that would confirm his hypothesis while he wrote his book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. He refused to let the work be published until after he died (in 1543) so that he would not be attacked by the Church for advocating a theory that was discordant with their doctrine.

Question 10

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which Renaissance scientist was deemed "vehemently suspect of heresy" by the Catholic Church, forced to recant his support for heliocentrism and spent the last years of his life under house arrest?

Accepted Answer

Galileo was deemed "vehemently suspect of heresy" by the Catholic Church, forced to recant his support for heliocentrism and spend the last years of his life under house arrest. Galileo was the foremost observational astronomer of his time. Through telescopic observation, he confirmed the phases of Venus and discovered Jupiter's four largest moons. He was a supporter of Copernicus' heliocentric model and advocated for it openly, which eventually drew negative attention from the Church. Unwilling to relent in his assertion, he was eventually put on trial for heresy at the Roman Inquisition of 1615, where he was found "vehemently suspect of heresy."

Question 11

Renaissance and Reformation
-The laws of planetary motion were articulated by _________________, who was the assistant to _________________.

Accepted Answer

Johannes Kepler, an assistant to Tycho Brahe, built on Brahe's work to explain the laws of planetary motion, which explain how the planets orbit the Sun. Brahe was a Danish astronomer whose celestial observations were the most accurate of the age, despite the fact that he was still using the naked eye, rather than telescopes, to make his observations. Among other things, Brahe established that comets were not atmospherical, but independent celestial bodies separate from Earth entirely. In addition to the explanation of planetary motion, Kepler was also responsible for getting the field of astronomy reclassified, in a sense, as a hard science, a branch of mathematical physics rather than the twin of astrology.

Question 12

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which work described the refined cultural ideals of humanism and the Renaissance?

Accepted Answer

Baldassare Castiglione's Book of the Courtier (1528) described the refined cultural ideals of humanism and the Renaissance. Castiglione outlined the virtues of a perfect gentleman- education in the classics and arts, calm temperament, good manner of speech, a warrior spirit, and the capacity and grooming to love a woman and treat her well. Though it was not the author's intent, it encapsulated the idealized values of the age and demonstrated to readers in later times what was considered virtuous in Renaissance culture.

Question 13

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which painter was a founder of the Flemish school of painting during the Northern Renaissance?

Accepted Answer

Jan van Eyck was a 15th century Northern Renaissance painter who was ultimately one of the founders of the Flemish school of painting. He was renowned for his skill throughout Europe during his career, even though, the opportunities for large-scale works (like those in the Sistine Chapel, etc.) were limited outside of Italy. Like da Vinci, he was also one of the earliest oil painters.

Question 14

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which German painter, engraver and printmaker is generally considered the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance?

Accepted Answer

In the late 15th to early 16th century German artist Albrecht Dürer became the foremost artist of the Northern Renaissance. His early skill was demonstrated through woodcarvings and engravings, which led to printmaking. He painted numerous portraits and self-portraits in oil, but he also worked on watercolor landscapes, making him one of Europe's first artists in that field. Dürer was a student of the Italian Renaissance and subsequently incorporated classical imagery into many of his works.

Question 15

Renaissance and Reformation
-The Western Schism of the Catholic Church was resolved by:

Accepted Answer

The Council of Constance (1418) resolved the Western Schism in the Catholic Church, ending a period in which there were two claimants to the papacy. With rival popes in Rome and Avignon, the European heads of state had to choose whether they recognized Pope Clement the VII of the Avignon papacy or Pope Urban VI of the Roman papacy as the true head of the Church. Catholic Christendom was divided. The Council of Constance was convoked in 1414, and after much debate, the Avignon papacy was deemed illegitimate. Throughout the division, the Avignon papacy was known for corruption, and the entire affair weakened the authority of the Catholic Church. It was one of the precursors to the movement for reformation that began in the next century. (Note: The Western Schism is sometimes called the "Great Schism," which is also applied to the East-West Schism of 1054, when the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches split.)

Question 16

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which abuse of power was most responsible for encouraging the Reformation?

Accepted Answer

The sale of indulgences was by far the most offensive act on part of the Church, as far as the Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin were concerned. An indulgence was an absolution for a sin. By selling indulgences, the Church was effectively saying that wealthy people were more "worthy" of salvation and an afterlife in Heaven because they could pay for it. People like Luther argued that if one person was worthy of absolution for a sin, then another person who was guilty of the same sin was equally worthy of absolution, and that forgiveness could only come from God, on principle, not on receipt of payment.

Question 17

Renaissance and Reformation
-Martin Luther wanted to reform or terminate all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

Luther didn't want to get rid of all seven sacraments- he wanted to keep baptism and communion. However, he did want to dissolve single-sex church orders. He also felt that worship should be made more accessible to the laity by translating the Bible and church services into the vernacular of the worshippers. He opposed clerical celibacy and believed that priests should be allowed to marry (he got married). And above all else, he wanted to terminate the sale of indulgences, believing that forgiveness was God's alone to grant and could not be bought.

Question 18

Renaissance and Reformation
-The result of the Diet of Worms was:

Accepted Answer

The Edict of Worms (May 1521), which resulted from the Diet, deemed that Martin Luther was an outlaw and a danger to the Holy Roman Empire. The emperor ordered his arrest (which he escaped), decreed that helping Luther with shelter or food would be considered criminal, banned his literature and stated that anyone who killed Luther would not be considered guilty of a criminal act. (Luther was excommunicated from the Church through a papal bull in January of the same year. The Church addressed the doctrinal issues that were core to the Reformation at the Council of Trent.)

Question 19

Renaissance and Reformation
-How did John Calvin's Reformation philosophy differ from Martin Luther's philosophy?

Accepted Answer

John Calvin, the Protestant Reformer from France, believed in predestination and that the church and the state should remain separate, except that the church's laws should dictate the laws of the state (giving the church precedence over the state). Calvin's view on predestination was motivated by his regard for the omnipotence of God- he believed that since God saw all and knew all he must know the future and it, therefore, already existed. (Calvin did want to retain the same two sacraments, baptism and communion, that Luther wanted to retain. He also supported the right of clerics to marry and the translation of the Bible and church services into the vernacular of the worshippers. Neither Calvin nor Luther believed that good deeds were necessary for salvation, which they believed was earned through faith alone.)

Question 20

Renaissance and Reformation
-Which of the following people did not agree with Martin Luther on the sacrament of communion?

Accepted Answer

When Zwingli and Luther met in Marburg (1529), to find a consensus on the Reformation movement, they were unable to reach an agreement on the sacrament of communion (or the Eucharist). Zwingli did not believe that the body of Jesus was present during communion, whereas the other Reformers upheld that tenet of Christianity. Zwingli was the leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, which, through his leadership, became a little harsher than the Reformation in other countries. He was killed in a battle with Swiss Catholic cantons in 1531.

Quiz 10: CLEP: Western Civilization

Renaissance and Reformation -Where are the doors above located?

Renaissance and Reformation -Who was the preeminent architect of the Italian Renaissance?

Renaissance and Reformation -Which technique, developed during the Renaissance, does da Vinci's Last Supper demonstrate?

Renaissance and Reformation -The work above is named:

Renaissance and Reformation -Which artist created the work above?

Renaissance and Reformation -What type of artwork is Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam, and where is it located?

Renaissance and Reformation -All of the following artists contributed to St. Peter's Basilica or the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican except:

Renaissance and Reformation -Which of the following were not characteristic of Italian Renaissance architecture:

Renaissance and Reformation -Which Renaissance astronomer was the first to dispel the geocentric model?

Renaissance and Reformation -Which Renaissance scientist was deemed "vehemently suspect of heresy" by the Catholic Church, forced to recant his support for heliocentrism and spent the last years of his life under house arrest?

Renaissance and Reformation -The laws of planetary motion were articulated by _, who was the assistant to _.

Renaissance and Reformation -Which work described the refined cultural ideals of humanism and the Renaissance?

Renaissance and Reformation -Which painter was a founder of the Flemish school of painting during the Northern Renaissance?

Renaissance and Reformation -Which German painter, engraver and printmaker is generally considered the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance?

Renaissance and Reformation -The Western Schism of the Catholic Church was resolved by:

Renaissance and Reformation -Which abuse of power was most responsible for encouraging the Reformation?

Renaissance and Reformation -Martin Luther wanted to reform or terminate all of the following except:

Renaissance and Reformation -The result of the Diet of Worms was:

Renaissance and Reformation -How did John Calvin's Reformation philosophy differ from Martin Luther's philosophy?

Renaissance and Reformation -Which of the following people did not agree with Martin Luther on the sacrament of communion?