<p>How hard is it?</p>
<p>If I read the Annotated Monalisa, will i be ok?</p>
<p>What do I need to focus through reading?</p>
<p>I heard you need to analyze things, how hard is this?</p>
<p>LOL,
I am planning to self-study that for next year too!
With USH & Chem
Recommended?</p>
<p>I just reread your post. Wow, analyze things?
That’s pretty difficult for me … because I have absolutely no knowledge in art and had made every effort to dodge art classes.
Hmm, what prepbooks should I use? Or textbooks?</p>
<p>The AP Art History exam WILL be difficult if you are taking multiple AP exams. You cannot cram for this exam in 1 month, unless you already have a deep understanding of art, or unless you have a photographic memory. Trying to cram for this exam in under a month will be extremely difficult, ESPECIALLY if you have more than 1 AP exam that you’re taking.</p>
<p>You can pass if you read the Annotated Mona Lisa book, but you must constantly review the elements that make each art period unique from the others. You also must learn to understand the trends within each period. For example, Northern Renaissance art saw an increase of oil paint as a media, Greek sculpture work frequently idealized the subject, etc.</p>
<p>You should also memorize a good amount of art pieces (Around 400-500 total from Prehistoric to Modern Art). You need to memorize: the artist(s), the medium, the era, the location (Sometimes), and any patrons, if there are any. You should use flashcards to study; I used flashcards with images pasted on them.</p>
<p>Also, you must memorize at least 10 pieces of art that are non-Western for one of the long essays on the exam. Art from India, Islam, China, Japan, and Africa are considered non-Western art. Native American art is also considered non-Western. You must also be able to understand the culture of each location, so you can analyze the influences seen in the artworks. For example, when Japan became westernized, many indigenous people wished to preserve original Japanese tradition, and they showcased their beliefs through their art.</p>
<p>Yes, you have to analyze paintings/sculpture work/architecture on the essays. You have to analyze the pictures they give you along with the prompt, and you must be able to explain the key elements of each painting. Sometimes they are really obvious to point out, such as Gothic architectural elements, but sometimes they can be rather subtle, such as the way the artists poses their subjects. When you are exposed to hundreds and thousands of art pieces while studying, you will notice that many buildings, paintings, and sculptures begin to look the same. The essays aim to test your ability to distinguish the very minute details that a regular person not taking the class would fail to recognize. </p>
<p>Overall, AP Art History can be easy so long as you start your studies at least 2 months prior to the exam. I did not self-study though, but I have taken the test, and I passed with a 5.</p>
<p>What if i take it online and review correctly?</p>
<p>Darn…
I am planning to take this class and, as I mentioned, Chem & USH but also with Computer Science A and I am also planning to take another one (possibly Music Theory).
Then what textbooks should I buy?</p>
<p>My teacher used the Gardner’s Art Through the Ages textbook to prep us for the exam. If I recall correctly, it was a 12th edition. The textbook is, in its whole, over 1000 pages.</p>
<p>The textbook gives a lot of detailed information for each work of art, and I believe this will aid you quite well.</p>
<p>EDIT: We skipped some chapters, though. We ignored all: Pacific art, art from the Americas (Native American art), and I think we barely went over African art.</p>
<p>DON’T DO IT.<br>
I took the class, and failed it. -_-
It’s so much information; you just can’t self-study it imo. You think now that you won’t procrastinate, but when it comes down to it, you will. </p>
<p>Self-study Psych or Human Geography instead. Maybe even Env. Science, though I don’t have experience with that. The first two, you can study in a night.</p>
<p>Question. Will getting a 5 on the AP Art History test (self-studied) complete any year-long art course requirements such as the UC a-g requirements? </p>
<p>EDIT: Read the Stickied thread. I guess it does - that’s awesome.</p>
<p>Because if it’s not, it’ll be a waste of my time. I’d rather selfstudy envsci.</p>
<p>I’m self-studying AP Art History next year, along with AP European History. I’d say the two complement each other nicely – does anyone have any experience with this?</p>
<p>^I think that is a good combo. I have taken both courses/exams, and I think that a strong background in European history can be very beneficial for one who plans on taking AP Art History. </p>
<p>However, AP European History heavily covers the Renaissance and beyond, while AP Art History covers art from the Prehistoric period to the art of the modern era. If I recall correctly, the “halfway” point for European history is when you start the French Revolution, and the “halfway” point for Art History is when you get to Renaissance art. The halfway point for a course just means that 50% of the tested material has been covered.</p>
<p>^But that’s not the division of the test. Different periods are covered more heavily on the AP. The Art History test is more comprehensive on the era from 1400 to 1800, just to a lesser degree than AP Euro. I believe I still have some of the approximate percentage breakdowns, period by period, upstairs, if you want numbers.</p>
<p>I’m not going to do it. I’ll just do Euro instead and take AP art history as a class.</p>
<p>@Millancad:</p>
<p>"The following outline shows the content areas generally covered by introductory college art history courses and a percentage range of course time devoted to each content area. The AP Art History Exam generally reflects this coverage.</p>
<p>I. Ancient Through Medieval (30%)</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>III. Renaissance to Present (50%)</p>
<ol>
<li>Fourteenth Through Sixteenth Centuries (12-17%) [When the Renaissance started]"</li>
</ol>
<p>Taken from CollegeBoard’s website. As you can see, art from the ancient times to the Renaissance is roughly 50% of the test.</p>
<p>In spite of the differing material both the tests place influence on, having a strong foundation of European history will still always be beneficial to anyone taking Art History.</p>
<p>BTW, I think anyone can find those numbers you have upstairs by searching up “ap art history topic outline” in Google.</p>
<p>I am bumping this thread because it’s really useful and for those who may be seeking help on this topic.</p>
<p>In addition, I have several questions of my own. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This was what I found from another thread. Do you think this advice still holds true for those who wish to take APAH in 2011? </p>
<p>One thing I realized is that people frequently talk about The Annotated Mona Lisa but rarely ever talk about The Annotated Arch. In this case, does buying the latter help in the exam?</p>
<p>Also, due to the high cost of Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, I will not be able to purchase it. However, my school’s library has a book called History of Modern Art. The link to it in Amazon is: [Amazon.com:</a> History of Modern Art (Paper cover) (6th Edition)…](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Art-Paper-cover/dp/0136062067]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Art-Paper-cover/dp/0136062067)</p>
<p>Do you think this book will suffice? Or is it lacking?</p>
<p>Apologies for the many questions raised and I hope someone will be able to answer them. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>