International Art History Movements is one of 9 topics in the Grade 12 Visual Arts CAPS syllabus, covered across 3 lessons on Study Vault. Below are real practice questions from this topic with full worked answers.
Sample practice questions
Easy
1. Impressionism emerged in which country, in the 1870s?
France
Germany
South Africa
Spain
Answer: France — Impressionism emerged in France in the 1870s among artists such as Claude Monet, who painted fleeting effects of light and atmosphere.
Easy
2. Expressionism is best characterised by:
Distorted form and exaggerated colour used to convey intense subjective emotion
Precise, photographic realism with no distortion
Only the use of black and white
A complete absence of any recognisable subject matter
Answer: Distorted form and exaggerated colour used to convey intense subjective emotion — Expressionist artists distorted form, exaggerated colour, and used bold mark-making to convey intense subjective emotion and inner psychological states.
Medium
3. What French term describes the Impressionist practice of painting outdoors to observe changing natural light directly?
Answer: En plein air — Impressionist painters frequently painted outdoors (en plein air) to directly observe and capture changing natural light and atmosphere.
