Cambridge Assessment International Education: Art History (Principal) 9799/03 May/June 2018

Cambridge Assessment International Education
Cambridge Pre-U Certificate
ART HISTORY (PRINCIPAL) 9799/03

Paper 3 Thematic Topics May/June 2018
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 60
Published
This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.
Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.
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Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2018 series for most
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This syllabus is approved for use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a Cambridge International Level 3 Pre-U Certificate.
This document consists of 34 printed pages.
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9799/03 Cambridge Pre-U – Mark Scheme May/June 2018
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Generic Marking Principles
These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers.
They should be applied alongside the specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptors
for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these marking principles.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:
Marks must be awarded in line with:
• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.
Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).
Marks must be awarded positively:
• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit
is given for valid answers which go beyond the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme,
referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these
features are specifically assessed by the question as indicated by the mark scheme. The
meaning, however, should be unambiguous.
Rules must be applied consistently e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed
instructions or in the application of generic level descriptors.
Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question
(however; the use of the full mark range may be limited according to the quality of the candidate
responses seen).
Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should
not be awarded with grade thresholds or grade descriptors in mind.
© UCLES 2018 Page 2 of 34

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Assessment Objectives
Make a close visual and/or other form of detailed analysis of a work of art, architecture or
AO1
design, paying attention to composition, structure or lay-out, use of colour/tone, texture,
the handling of space and the manipulation of light effects as appropriate.
Place works of art in their historical and cultural context; both in relation to other works and
AO2
in relation to factors such as artistic theory, patronage, religion and technical limitations,
showing understanding of ‘function’ and ‘purpose’ where possible.
AO3 Demonstrate the ability to distinguish between accepted historical fact, art historical theory
and their own personal judgements.
AO4 Present a relevant, coherent and informed independent response, organising information,
ideas, descriptions and arguments and using appropriate terminology.
AO5
Demonstrate evidence of sustained personal research.
All questions carry 20 marks each.
Marking should be done holistically taking into consideration the weighting of marks for each AO as
they are reflected in the descriptor.
The question specific notes describe the area covered by the question and define its key elements.
Candidates may answer the question from a wide variety of different angles using different emphases,
and arguing different points of view. There is no one required answer and the notes are not
exhaustive. However candidates must answer the question set and not their own question and the
question specific notes provide the parameters within which markers may expect the discussion to
dwell.
Use the generic marking scheme Levels of Response to find the mark. First find the level which best
describes the qualities of the essay, then at a point within the level using a mark out of 20. Add the 3
marks out of 20 together to give a total mark out of 60 for the script as a whole.
Examiners will look for the best fit, not a perfect fit when applying the bands. Where there are
conflicting strengths then note should be taken of the relative weightings of the different assessment
objectives to determine which band is best suitable. Examiners will provisionally award the middle
mark in the band and then moderate up/down according to individual qualities within the answer.
Rubric infringement
If a candidate has answered four questions instead of three, mark all questions and add the marks for
the three highest questions together to give the total marks. If the candidate has answered fewer
questions than required or not finished an essay, mark what is there and write ‘rubric error’ clearly on
the front page of the script.

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Levels of Response
• Comprehensive, detailed development and complex visual analysis in

response to specific examples or in certain circumstances a single
example. Imaginative and sensitive understanding of materials and
techniques.
• Extensive and questioning contextual evidence of historical sources and
18–20 Excellent
concepts other than visual or other forms of analysis.
• Excellent ability to distinguish between fact, theory and personal
judgement.
• Excellent, sustained organisation and development of argument in
response to the question with outstanding use of subject terminology.
• Detailed and extensively developed analysis in response to specific

examples or in certain circumstances a single example. Thorough
understanding of materials and techniques.
• Confident and detailed contextual evidence of historical sources and
15–17 Very good concepts other than visual or other forms of analysis.
• Assured ability to distinguish between fact, theory and personal
judgement.
• A thoughtful and well-argued response to the question with very
confident use of subject terminology.
• Relevant analysis with some detail and development in response to

specific examples or in certain circumstances a single example. Solid
but descriptive rather than analytical understanding of materials and
techniques.
12–14 Good • Well-understood, solid contextual evidence of historical sources and
concepts other than visual or other forms of analysis.
• Good ability to distinguish between fact, theory and personal judgement.
• A well argued but not as extensively developed response to the
question. Competent use of subject terminology.
• Mostly relevant analysis in response to specific examples or in certain

circumstances a single example, but lacking detail and development.
Limited understanding of materials and techniques.
• Some examples of contextual evidence of historical sources and
9–11 Satisfactory concepts other than visual or other forms of analysis, but with some
inaccuracies and limited range.
• Distinguishes between fact, theory and personal judgement.
• A mainly relevant response to the question and use of subject
terminology but lacking in structure and development.
• Analysis lacks detail and has limited development. Materials and

techniques barely acknowledged.
• Limited and inaccurate examples of contextual evidence of historical
sources and concepts other than the specific case study analysis, but
with some inaccuracies and limited range.
5–8 Weak
• Barely distinguishes between fact, theory and personal judgement.
• An uneven, basic, largely narrative response to the question. Includes
some relevant points but development is very limited or contains
padding and/or has very obvious omissions. Little use of subject
terminology.

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• Little analysis of poorly chosen examples that lack relevance OR no

examples singled out for analysis at all. No acknowledgement of
materials and techniques.
• Insubstantial contextual evidence of historical sources and concepts
other than the specific case study analysis.
1–4 Poor
• Little evidence of the ability to distinguish between fact, theory and
personal judgement.
• Poor knowledge and understanding of the material. Insubstantial,
irrelevant with little attempt to answer the question. Almost no use of
subject terminology.
0 • No rewardable content.

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Question Answer Marks
Topic 1: Art and architecture in the city
1 Describe an area of your chosen city, explaining how it reflects the 20

city’s historical development.
Candidates need to define a coherent area of the city. Possible spaces are
discussed in the syllabus. Legitimate choices would include a square, a
public park, or a district or neighbourhood.
Answers need to engage with the issue of historical development,

connecting what is seen with the use and transformation of spaces over
time. For example, the area may be an old industrial quarter, with
warehouses and tenements converted for different uses; or it may be a new
development, characterised by contemporary architectural style and
planning.
Some reference to history as a means of ‘decoding’ what is seen is

expected.
Answers should identify key architectural works and monuments in the area,
and explain their background; reference to social and economic context will
be useful here.
In general terms, candidates should offer an informed and precise account

of their chosen area; while some personal and subjective response is
welcome, answers should not drift into wholly impressionistic surveys.
Valid and relevant points not mentioned above should be rewarded.

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2 ‘Museums take art out of context, commercialise it and turn it into a 20

tourist experience.’ Discuss this view with reference to at least two
museums and/or galleries in your chosen city.
Candidates should show they understand the terms of the charge: an

altarpiece may be said to be ‘out of context’ by being removed from its
original location (and, often, fragmented); shops equate viewing of art with
consumerism; publicity and blockbuster exhibitions aim for the mass footfall
of the tourist market.
Having understood the charge outlined in the question, candidates may

consider its force: galleries may address the question of context with
surrounding resources, from labels to audioguides and apps, or even
recreating original spaces (as in the Romanesque collection in MNAC,
Barcelona). Consumerism can be avoided by the earnest visitor, and in any
case art has always needed some form of funding. Tourism may be
preferable to a world in which art was only seen by rich patrons and their
guests.
There is no prescription for a particular kind of answer. Candidates may

write well anywhere on the spectrum from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly
disagree’. What is important is the quality of the discussion: reference
should be made to specific galleries and specific works, and the experience
a museum brings. Answers should show some thoughtful reflection on the
theoretical points raised in the question.

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3 With reference to at least two buildings, discuss a style of architecture 20

that can be seen in your chosen city.
Cities are frequently associated with a particular artistic style: Brussels and
art nouveau, Barcelona and modernisme, New York and high-rise buildings.
Candidates should show an awareness of this, where appropriate.
Where cities are more ‘eclectic’ architecturally, candidates may explore the
idea that there is not one dominant style in a city, and that variety is the
characterising feature. Alternatively, there may be enough examples to
furnish an answer on one particular style: London, for example, provides
ample examples of neogothic, neoclassical, neofuturism, etc.
Candidates should define clearly what style they mean to discuss, and give
an account of its most prominent features. Discussions should be based on
descriptions of a few specific works, stating accurately their location and
function.
The question tests essentially a candidate’s understanding of a particular

architectural style and ability to discuss it with reference to particular
buildings in a given city.
4 What do public monuments add to a city? Explain with reference to at 20

least two monuments.
Answers should focus on a few case studies of public monuments (see

syllabus for discussion of the scope of this phrase). In the course of
discussion, topics may include:
• Aesthetic pleasure, breaking up urban areas with works of decorative

beauty.
• Ornaments to the experience of public parks and squares and other

open spaces.
• Variety of sculptural and architectural styles.
• Reminder of the city’s history, commemorating important individuals

and providing a reminder of significant events.

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5 Discuss the work of an artist who has, or had, a strong link to your 20
chosen city.
As discussed in the syllabus, ‘artist’ includes all media, including

architecture.
Answers should focus on one artist, and explain their link to the city: it may
be their birthplace, where they studied, a place in which they did significant
work, a source of inspiration, etc.
Discussion of the work should include close discussion of some selected

works, commenting on subject matter, style, materials, the circumstances of
making, political or other significance, how it has been used, exhibited, etc.
Biographical and historical information may usefully inform the discussion:

the Spanish Civil War and Franco years as a background to the work of
Tàpies in Barcelona; Mexican history with reference to Diego Rivera, etc.
The artist chosen may be canonical or lesser known, historical or

contemporary. It is the quality of discussion which counts.
6 Give an account of your experience of one or more works of 20

contemporary art made after 1960 in your chosen city.
The question gives candidates an opportunity to write a critical appreciation

of single works or exhibitions they have seen in their chosen city. The work
themselves need not be from the city: the virtual exhibition of Björk in CCCB
Barcelona (2017) would, for example, be a legitimate choice. Periodic
events such as the Florence Biennale, travelling exhibitions, etc., are also
valid.
Answers should describe clearly subject matter, materials, provenance,

circumstances of commission, location, and function; careful analysis of
formal qualities should be rewarded.
The question invites an account of the writer’s personal ‘experience’ of the

work, so personal impressions and responses are perfectly valid; they
should be anchored, though, in an informed description of the work(s).
Famous and lesser known artists and works are both equally valid.

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7 Compare and contrast two spaces in your chosen city. 20
Candidates need to be able to describe and discuss the buildings in an area

with an attention to style and function, using appropriate terminology. For
example, in London the monumental and classical style of many of the
buildings in Trafalgar Square might be compared to the brutalism of the
National Theatre and the surrounding buildings on the South Bank.
Discussion should be informed by art historical criteria: what is the

architectural style of the National Gallery and the adjoining Sainsbury Wing?
Why do they look this way? Discussion of history, commission, function and
relation to the area as a whole would all add to a rich answer to this
question.
What is important is a thorough and informed discussion of three or four

sights – building and open areas, monuments, housing and commercial
complexes, etc.

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8 How can art and/or architecture help us to understand a city? 20
Answers should focus on particular art works and/or buildings, and consider
the question of how the experience of these works might add to an
understanding of a city. Likely areas to be explored, not intended as
prescriptive:
• Paintings and memorials which capture historical events: e.g. Ramon

Casas, The Charge (1902) records the Guardia Civil attacking strikers
in Barcelona.
• Art can go beyond a documentary record and convey an attitude to

events, both personal to the artist and part of a more general
atmosphere: the colours and compositions of the Casas painting also
suggest a sombre and fractured mood.
• Paintings such as society portraits can tell us something about the

lifestyle and tastes of a certain period, i.e. they have a sociological
value, embedded in the depiction of individuals.
• Art may capture a mood, atmosphere, zeitgeist of a point in history

which documentary records cannot preserve.
• Buildings might include the Houses of Parliament in London, the Doge’s

Palace in Venice or the Opera House in Paris, Colosseum in Rome.
• Art may be said to be produced through networks of patronage,

collecting and exhibiting, all of which can help us to understand
economic and social relations in a city at a given time: Gozzoli’s
frescoes in the Medici Chapel in Florence illustrate the place of art in a
city at that time, even if they do not show the city itself.
• A work of art may create a sense of personal bond between the viewer
and the city, humanising an otherwise potentially anonymous
experience.
• Art allows us to see the city through the eyes of a particular individual,
and creates a relationship between artist and viewer.

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Topic 2: Landscape
9 Compare and contrast at least two landscape works from non-Western 20

art.
Possible sources (China, Japan, Australia) are detailed in the syllabus.

These are not exclusive.
Candidates may draw their examples from one country, or more than one.
Where examples are taken from one country, answers should make clear in
what ways the chosen works are contrasting.
Discussion should include an identification of a specific work, its artist

(where known), subject matter, medium, purpose and significance.
Some consideration of the ‘non-Western’ provenance should be made, with

an explanation, where it is helpful, of the particular standards and criteria
whereby the works may be best appreciated.
Answers should contain a comparative and, at least to some extent, some

contrastive element. They should not simply describe one work, then
another.

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10 Discuss the ways in which landscape painting of the seventeenth 20

century created an idealised picture of the countryside.
Classical landscape painting is a standard term referring to the idealised

landscapes of the seventeenth century, setting scenes in the idyllic, mythical
Arcadia of ancient Greece. Introduced by Annibale Caracci.
Answers should be centred on discussion of specific works. Key artists are

Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain.
Formal qualities should be described: orderly, harmonious compositions, the

careful gradation of tone, control of perspective to give a gentle recession
through foreground, middleground to background. Soft light unifying space
and creating a lyrical atmosphere.
Metaphorical significance attached to nature, emphasising its dominant

importance over man.
Choice of biblical and mythological scenes. Importance of classical

architecture.
Answers will gain by some awareness of the cultural context, the

importance attached to the classical past and ideas of the Golden age in
circulation through poetry and philosophical texts. Central importance of
Virgil’s pastoral poetry.
Many possible examples, including: Claude Lorrain, Pastoral Landscape

with a Mill (1634); Nicolas Poussin, Landscape with the Ashes of Phocion
(1648).

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11 Compare and contrast examples of German landscape painting. Your 20

examples may be from any period or periods.
Answers should focus on a few examples of landscape painting from the

Germanic tradition. These should be identified accurately – artist (where
known), title, date or period.
For suggestions on artists and schools, see syllabus. Answers may draw on
examples from a specific school or period, such as the Danube School, or
roam more widely.
As with other ‘Compare and contrast’ questions, the main criteria for
assessment are the quality of the description and analysis of individual
work. Some commentary needs to be made on formal aspects of
composition, lighting, colour, tone, media, etc.
Reference should be made to underlying ideas, such as romanticism, where

these help the viewer to understand the work.
12 The art critic Ruskin said Turner was an artist who could ‘stirringly 20
and truthfully measure the moods of Nature’. Compare and contrast at
least two paintings by British landscape artists which seem to you to
convey different moods.
Candidates may draw on British art from any period or periods. Examples
should allow them to describe different moods, and discuss the means the
artists have employed to express them – through choice of subject, colour,
composition, etc.
Some discussion of context may help to bring out the key topic of the
question – for example, European influences on Turner, including the
romantic idea of the visionary landscape.
Many approaches to the question are possible: Constable’s nostalgic

imagery may be contrasted with Turner’s dramatic and lyrical paintings of
natural effects; the Dutch-influenced landscapes of Gainsborough may be
contrasted with the spiritual landscapes of Samuel Palmer; Graham
Sutherland’s often brooding landscape images offer a different experience
to the calm compositions of Ben Nicholson and the lyrical imagery of Eric
Ravilious.
Whichever works are chosen, they should be accurately identified by title,

artist and period. Good answers will be characterised by a close attention to
their subject matter and formal qualities.

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13 What was new about Impressionist landscape painting? 20
Candidates should place Impressionism in the correct period (1860s to

1886, date of last Impressionist exhibition), and show an awareness of the
main artists: Monet, Sisley, Signac, Renoir, Pissarro.
Important features of Impressionist landscapes include: often small scale

canvases, oil sketches painted out of doors, directly in front of motifs and
regarded as finished works; informal composition from a variety of
viewpoints; free and spontaneous handling of paint, leaving visible traces of
brushwork; form and space evoked through the contrast and nuances of
colours.
Discussion should include some comment on what Impressionist painters

were trying to achieve: spontaneity, a direct record of nature, the capturing
of transient effects of light, conveying the immediacy of perception before
intellectual analysis.
A preference for modern subjects: cityscapes, places of recreation such as

La Grenouillère (e.g. Renoir, Le Pont des Arts (1866–67).
Candidates may mention that there was variety and change within the
Impressionist movement. From the 1870s, artists used more studio
refinement of sketches made out of doors.
Some of many possible examples: Monet, Impression: Sunrise (1874);

Monet, Storm on Belle Isle (1886); Pissaro, Hoar-Frost (1874).
Discussion should be based on a selection of individual works, which should

be described carefully with attention to subject and formal properties such
as colour, light and composition.
Some reference to the place of Impressionism in tradition (e.g. Barbizon

School), and influences such as Japonisme, may be helpful in discussion.
Contextual issues such as colour theory and the writings of criticism such as
Baudelaire may also be useful, depending on the examples chosen for
discussion.

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14 Discuss some of the different methods and materials modern artists 20

have used for recording the landscape.
The focus of answers should be on ‘methods and materials’. Examples may

range from traditional oil paintings in the studio, perhaps based on
preliminary drawings and sketches, to plein-air painting, to the diverse
approaches of the modern period. The discussion should involve some
consideration of why artists are using a particular method, and the effects
they achieve.
• Photography, e.g. Joe Cornish, Ravenscow, Yorkshire (1997), ‘a search

for forms which reflect the primal force of nature’. Photography as a
record of the patterns created by long natural processes.
• Recording the landscape by physically bringing it into the gallery space:

Robert Smithson, Non-Site (1968); Walter de Maria, New York Earth
Room (1977).
• The use of physical materials in works: Anselm Kiefer, real sand

gradually obscuring the photographs of Märkische Sand (1977–78).
Richard Long.
• Physical interventions in the landscape, recorded in text, photographs

and film: Michael Herzer, Displaced / Replaced Mass (1969). Andy
Goldsworthy.
• Ceramics: Adam Buick, Land Jar (2011).
• Records of walking: Richard Long, Gabriel Orozco (sculpture, Yielding

Stone (1992)); Francis Alÿs, Knots (2005).
• Sculpture: Lotte Glob, Books of the Land – Solidified Thoughts (2004);

Roger Stephens, Shore (2011).
• Film: Chris Drury, Twenty-Four Hour Iceberg (2006–7); Michael Snow,

La Région Centrale (1969).

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15 Compare and contrast any two landscape artists whose work, in your 20
opinion, offers different ways of seeing the world.
Candidates may draw on any artists, from any place or period, provided
they have not discussed them at length elsewhere in the paper.
Answers must engage with the idea of ‘ways of seeing the world’, and give
some account of the mode of seeing at work in their case studies.
Contrasts may be of various kinds: Turner’s dramatic romanticism

compared to Constable’s quieter, lyrical vision; everyday Dutch scenes
(Hobbema, van Ruisdael) in contrast to the ecstatic and expressive
(Friedrich, Runge); the worldly cityscapes of Impressionist painting next to
the more abstract and remote work of Richard Long, etc.
Some explanation of why artists are presenting this particular view would be
helpful, with reference to relevant intellectual and cultural context.

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16 ‘Landscape is a political subject.’ Discuss ways in which landscape art 20

can connect with political concerns.
Answers need to engage with the concept of ‘political’ and will ideally offer
some definition of it. This will probably be wider than party politics and
embrace the elements of civic life, the ‘polis’. The following examples are
not intended to be restrictive.
Landscape and national identity. A key theme in seventeenth century Dutch

landscape, and also central to nineteenth century romanticism. Landscape
as a means of establishing a national identity, and an expression of national
qualities, from economic growth to spiritual yearnings.
Landscape art in relation to empire and colonialism. The depiction of

America as an undiscovered wilderness in the American sublime, works of
Hudson River School.
Landscape and land ownership. The depiction of the country estate, as in

Rubens’s Het Steen (c.1636).
Interventions in debates around urbanisation and the environment in the

Land art movement.
Landscape in non-Western art offers other possible areas for discussion:

Chinese landscape art as an implicit on the limitations of the immediate and
political, by offering a reminder of the immensity of nature; aboriginal art in
Australia in relation to questions of cultural colonialism and land ownership.
Landscape photography as a social record: Walker Evans, William

Egglestone.

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Topic 3: Portraiture
17 Discuss the use of portraiture in ancient Egypt. 20
Candidates should select examples which show a broad knowledge of the

range and techniques of portrait art in Egypt, within the timescale given in
the syllabus (to c.500 AD). Likely content:
• Egyptian portraiture has religious roots: identity established not by

physical likeness, but by name (inscription), pose, gesture, regalia,
royal epithets. Answers need to make some reference to the context of
Egyptian society and religion (e.g. concept of maat), if they are to make
sense of the examples discussed.
• Importance of death and burial. Tomb sculptures, funerary masks,

naturalistically sculpted heads; not a remembrance of the deceased,
but their new manifestation.
• Range of images, from realistic to idealised.
• Sculptures of pharaohs, e.g. Amenemhat III; hieratic, frontal position,

use of conventionalised forms. More naturalistic approach under
Akhenaten.
• Realism of Fayum portraits: faces individualised, modelled, conveying

character of subject.

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18 To what extent does Renaissance portraiture show ‘the rise of the 20

individual’?
Candidates may place the period in context by referring to earlier, medieval

portraits which tend to be generic. Background of donor portraits.
Fifteenth-century Europe sees emergence of distinct portrait likenesses,

recording the features of an individual and, by suggesting their inner
emotional state, making them present in the world.
Numerous examples of realistic Renaissance portraiture from both Italy and

Netherlands, e.g. Piero della Francesca, Federico da Montefeltro (1465–
72), Rogier van der Weyden, Portrait of a Lady (c.1460).
Three-quarter format allows for a more intimate relation between subject

and viewer: Petrus Christus, Portrait of a Carthusian (1446).
At the same time, Renaissance portraiture still uses conventions such as

profile format, and adopts inherited conventions of symbolic objects and
costume, indicating the subject as a type as well as an individual: Pisanello,
Portrait of Leonello d’Este (1441).
Renaissance portraiture can be idealised as well as realistic, e.g. Botticelli,

Portrait of a woman (Simonetta Vespucci) (c.1480).

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19 Compare and contrast the work of any two portrait artists of the 20
seventeenth century.
An extensive list of possible artists is given in the syllabus.
Candidates should ideally choose artists where there is room for interesting
contrastive analysis – for example, the realism of Hals and Rembrandt next
to the drama of Zurbarán.
Candidates may choose their own focus: comparison of court and

aristocratic portraits by Velázquez and van Dyck, for example.
Examples should be correctly identified with regard to artist, subject, date

and medium.
At the heart of the answer will be careful analysis on individual works,

commenting on formal features of composition, colour, light, tone, etc.
Reference to contextual matters should be made where it helps elucidate a

work – for example, Velázquez’s role as artist to the Spanish court.
20 Discuss at least three portraits of women from the eighteenth century. 20
There are sufficient examples for this question to be approachable.

Examples may be from one country or several.
Answers should discuss in detail the subject of the portrait, and consider
artistic choices made, and the meaning of the resulting image.
Careful consideration should be given to such matters as costume, setting,

objects, posture, scale and any other elements that help us to ‘read’ the
image.
Answers should also give some idea of the technique employed by the
artist: for example, the finished and classical style of Reynolds could be
contrasted to the more sketch-like, expressive approach of Gainsborough.
Contextual discussion would be helpful: how did aristocrats wish to be

portrayed? What were portraits for? How did the system of patronage work?
Many possible examples, such as: François Boucher, Marquise de
Pompadour (1756); Thomas Gainsborough, Woman in Blue (c.1780);
Joshua Reynolds, The Ladies Waldegrave (1780–81); Goya’s portraits of
the Duchess of Alba; self-portraits by Elisabeth Vigée-le-Brun.

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21 Discuss the main characteristics of any one movement in the 20

nineteenth century, within the genre of portraiture.
By ‘movement’ is intended any of the artistic schools listed in the syllabus:

Romanticism, Academic art. Candidates should not be penalised for going
beyond this if their examples fall within the period: Expressionism, Neo-
Impressionism, etc. Other countries (Spain, Russia, etc.) provide
appropriate material for discussion. Equally, photography (from 1830) is
perfectly valid even though it is not mentioned in this part of the syllabus.
Terms for movements are often fairly loose, and latitude should be given to
candidates in their choices of examples. However, some attempt should be
made to define the movement under discussion.
Examples should ideally show a range of approaches. For example, an

answer on Post-Impressionism might compare and contrast portraits by van
Gogh, Dr Gachet (1890), Gauguin, Young Breton Woman, (1889) and
Cézanne, Man Smoking a Pipe (1890–92), drawing attention to their
individual uses of colour and form.
The question requires a careful consideration of style and technique, and

the theories that inform artistic approaches. These may be helpfully drawn
out by reference to previous styles (Realism as a reaction against
Romanticism, for example) and influences, such as Japonisme.
Valid and relevant points not made above should be rewarded.
22 Discuss the work of any one portrait artist after 1900. 20
Candidates may discuss any artist active between 1900 and today. The
syllabus lists a number of artists, but this is not intended as restrictive.
The work may be in any medium – painting, sculpture, photography, video,

etc.
Answers should concentrate on a careful discussion of a few selected

works, describing accurately their content and formal qualities of
composition, colour, etc.
Credit should be given to thoughtful personal responses, as invited by the

phrasing ‘what you find most distinctive’; the key term of distinctiveness
should inform the answer in some way.
To draw out the distinctiveness of the work, it may be helpful to contrast it

with other artists of tradition. An answer on Frida Kahlo, for example, may
choose to explain the innovative ways in which she used the portrait genre
to record personal, and female, experience.

PUBLISHED
23 Discuss the different effects achieved by portrait artists through at 20

least two different media.
Different media in painting: tempera and fresco in Italy, oil paint in the
Netherlands; drawing; range of formats such as the miniature in Britain. To
paint media may be added sculpture (the portrait bust) and metalwork
(medallions).
A key point is the capture of textures and nuances of colour and light
through oil, creating a highly realistic ‘presence’: Robert Campin, Portrait of
a Fat Man (c.1425).
Points should be illustrated through a careful discussion of selected

examples. Each should be accurately identified by artist, subject and date,
and the medium should be accurately and specifically discussed. Within
these parameters, personal response to the effects created in each case is
welcome.
Reference to contextual details may be useful: for example, the classical

model for the portrait bust is a part of the effect of the work; and
circumstances of commission may suggest an intended effect (e.g.
Holbein’s portrait of the Tudor court).
24 Compare and contrast examples of portraits of power. 20
Any examples could be chosen provided they are of those of wealth and
status: Kings, bishops, etc.
Careful analysis should be made of costume and other symbols of power,

including regalia and surroundings.
Candidates should engage with what the images are saying to the viewer
about the subject, what ideas they are conveying: for example, discussion of
an equestrian portrait is likely to mention the classical precedent and the
iconography of the strong, active ruler.

PUBLISHED
Topic 4: The nude
25 Explain the importance of the classical nude to the Western artistic 20

tradition.
The question requires candidates to show a knowledge of examples of the

classical nude, and to put them in the context of a wider tradition. Both parts
of the question need to be addressed to attain higher marks. Important
areas include:
• The male nude figure formulated in classical Greece creates the model
for subsequent centuries. Sculptures such as the Apollo Belvedere
were held as the epitome of the idealised body for centuries.
• Equally, the ‘Venus’ figure of Greek classical nudes is the model for
later depictions of females in the Renaissance and the neoclassic
tradition.
• Idealisation of youth; the proportions of the body established in the

Greek canon and handed down (still operative today).
• Classical sculpture establishes the idea that inner moral qualities can
be expressed through the body.

PUBLISHED
26 Discuss some of the ways in which the depiction of the human body in 20
non-Western art differs from the Western tradition.
Approaches will depend on the examples chosen, but the following are likely
areas for discussion:
• Outside the West, the canonical proportions established in ancient

Greece no longer apply, and figures may be expressively distorted, e.g.
for ritualistic use in African art.
• Non-Western art is not concerned with expressing the same set of

values: Japanese ukiyo-e prints present an unidealised, everyday
picture of the body (anticipating later Western approaches).
• Attitudes to sexuality may vary widely. Contrast the reserve of much

Western art with the graphic depiction of sexual acts in Hindu temples
(though these may be compared to images found on Greek vases).
• Materials and media may also differ.
For the purposes of this question (and generally), there is no need for a
dogmatic insistence on ‘the nude’ as being entirely unclothed. Semi-dressed
examples are perfectly valid. What matters is a focus on the body: how is it
depicted? What is the image or object used for? What ideas and cultural
attitudes are expressed through the sight of the human body?
27 ‘The human body in art reflects religious attitudes.’ Discuss, with 20

reference to Western and/or non-Western art.
An answer concentrating on Christian art may focus on ideas such as: sin
and shame (in depictions of Adam and Eve, The Last Judgement). Other
images use the body as a sight for suffering (images of the Crucifixion and
the sufferings of martyrs). Conversely, the body in Christian art may
function as an expression of grace and innocence (the Christ Child); or,
later, as an embodiment of spiritual heroism (Michelangelo).
The body can tell us something about ideas through its place in narrative,
the degree to which it has been idealised or exaggerated, the relation set up
with the viewer, and through the affective powers of colour, scale and other
formal devices.
Responses from all religious traditions are equally valid.

PUBLISHED
28 How have artists from the nineteenth century onwards been innovative 20
in their depictions of the female body?
Examples should be taken from the period identified in the question. ‘Artists’
includes sculptors, photographers, etc., as well as painters.
The general expectation is that candidates will discuss the preference for
the real, unidealised nude, perhaps presented in a way which deliberately
alludes to iconographic tradition (e.g. Manet, Déjeuner sur l’herbe (1863)
and Olympia (1863); Degas).
Work in the expressive tradition (Schiele, Bacon) have created a visual

vocabulary of the female notably distinct from the prevailing tradition.
Women artists themselves furnish many possible examples: Frida Kahlo,

Dorothea Tanning, Jenny Saville all refresh the artistic representations of
the female body in ways which challenge prevailing traditions.
Answers should make an attempt to summarise the elements of ‘tradition’

(idealised, passive, etc.) and explain how their chosen works in some way
challenge this model.

PUBLISHED
29 Discuss two or more ways in which the body has been interpreted 20
through the medium of photography.
Candidates need to engage with the key concept of interpretation: a

photographic work not only recording a body, but interpreting it, using the
resources of the medium.
Answers need to be constructed around a few case studies. These should

be accurately identified (artist, subject, date / period), and carefully
described. Formal matters such as composition and lighting should be
discussed, when these inform the subject of interpretation. Illustrative
examples:
• Robert Mapplethorpe, Arnold Schwarzenegger (1976). The text from

the Tate website is an exemplar of close description, followed by
interpretive commentary: see
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/mapplethorpe-arnold-
schwarzenegger-ar00213. Candidates should be following this
association of careful observation with some explanation of how the
choice and disposition of elements in a work create a frame of
reference within which the meanings of the subject can be explored:
‘By positioning the bodybuilder within a studio setting next to a large
curtain, Mapplethorpe makes reference, possibly ironically, to the
nineteenth-century Western artistic tradition of representing the nude. In
this tradition, the idealised male or female body was depicted either
partially clothed or naked, often with drapery similar to that of the
curtain in Mapplethorpe’s photograph. As the critic Allen Ellenzweig
writes: ‘[Schwarzenegger is posed] beside a fully curved drapery typical
of decorative backdrops in the nude and still-life studies of the previous
century.’ (Ellenzweig 1992, p.138)
• Tom Bianchi, Fire Island Pines Polaroids 1975–1983 records gay

culture in California. It is important to the pictures’ authenticity that (in
contrast to Mapplethorpe) they are unposed, and taken quickly on
Polaroid. They nevertheless show attention to composition, lighting and
depth. Here the body may be said to be interpreted as a rebuttal of
conventional values, a site for personal liberation. Taken on the eve of
the AIDS crisis, Bianchi’s photographs now have a patina of nostalgia,
and stand as a record of a previous age, embedded in the story of the
assertion of gay rights in America and accompanying stances on
censorship.

PUBLISHED
30 Compare and contrast at least two depictions of the nude body made 20
since 1900.
Examples chosen may be in any media: painting, photography, film, etc.
Discussion should include close description of the work / image, drawing

attention to such matters as the exploitation of the medium, and formal
properties of light, composition, colour, etc.
Some consideration needs to be given to the possibilities of interpretation

raised by the selected images.
Contextual reference to biography and sociocultural matters may be helpful.
Personal response is welcome, when anchored in detailed attention to the

work itself.
31 Discuss three examples of the nude which suggest different attitudes 20

to female beauty.
Candidates may draw on examples from any period (though should beware
of duplicating material used elsewhere in the paper): for example, a
classical Venus figure such as the Venus de Milo may be compared to a
Renaissance painting (e.g. Giorgione, Venus Sleeping (1509); Titian, Venus
of Urbino (c.1538)) with some comment on beauty as embodied in
proportions, texture, passive pose, etc. These could be contrasted with a
later work by Gauguin, Modigliani, Picasso, etc., in which a different
conception of beauty may be in operation. Images of ‘Venus Pudica’ may be
contrasted with the fleshly images of Rubens or the more frankly erotic work
of Boucher (e.g. Boucher, The Blond Odalisque (1752)).
Physical beauty and ideals of female nature and character are, of course,
closely linked. Candidates may wish to explore this theme, using where
relevant theoretical ideas such as the male gaze.
Candidates may discuss works by women which challenge the male-

dominated discourse of female beauty.

PUBLISHED
32 Why do you think the nude has continued to be an important subject 20

in art from ancient times until today?
Candidates should suggest reasons for the importance and longevity of the
nude as a subject in art, illustrating points with reference to specific images.
Approaches may include:
• The nude as a central part of the artistic canon from classical times,
providing models for artists to follow or react to in some way. For
example, Renaissance images of Venus reclining are referenced in
Modigliani, Nude Woman Sleeping (1917) and many other images.
• The nude in Western art represents an intersection of classical and

Christian traditions, the one broadly elevating it as an ideal and the
other broadly viewing it as something shameful: these currents continue
to be played out, and are hence expressed and explored through the
visual arts. Lucian Freud, Naked Portrait (1972–73) is an example of a
realist mode which brings into question these received attitudes.
• The nude remains an important subject for the visual exploration of

several modern preoccupations: feminism, the unconscious, etc. Issues
of ‘active and passive’ and ‘naked and nude’ are live topics in the
production and analysis of media images.
• The nude body remains an irresistible challenge to the skills of

figurative artists.

PUBLISHED
Topic 5: Still life
33 Discuss at least two works which illustrate the development of the still 20
life genre in the period c.1560–1650.
Since the syllabus begins in the late sixteenth century, knowledge of

classical and medieval precedents for the genre cannot reasonably be
expected. However, some familiarity with the immediate background to the
efflorescence of the seventeenth century would form any normal study of
the topic.
Immediate origins: realistic domestic interiors of north European painting in

the fifteenth century (Robert Campin, Jan van Eyck); floral decorative
borders in manuscripts and Books of Hours; market, shop and kitchen
scenes (Pieter Aertsen, Joachim Beuckelaer).
‘Origins’ may also be interpreted as social context: the rise of scientific study
of plants and wildlife; the interests of the bourgeois collector in precious
objects; under the ban on religious images, transposition of artistic effort to
secular subjects.
Development of sub-genres: flower paintings (often with fruit and shells); the
ostentatious still life (‘pronkstilleven’); banquet and breakfast pieces.
The importance of the ‘vanitas’ still life as a genre in the early seventeenth
century.
Answers cannot be comprehensive; a selection of pieces discussed with

regard to their place in a wider tradition is what is looked for here.
34 Discuss the work in the still life genre of at least one Spanish painter. 20
It is open to candidates to write a monographic study of one painter, or to

write on more.
A selection of possible artists for discussion is given in the syllabus:

Velázquez, Cotan, Zurbarán and Goya would all be valid choices.
Since the question does not specify date, choices of artist from later periods
(Picasso, Gris) are valid.
Answers should consider pictorial elements such as colour, light and form.
The ‘achievement’ may be considered on aesthetic grounds – the impact
created by particular works – and/or with reference to a larger tradition.

PUBLISHED
35 How was French still life painting influenced by the attitudes of the 20
Academy?
Candidates may discuss the hierarchy of genres decided upon by the

Academy (founded in 1648). Genre was decided by subject matter, the
highest being History painting, with its elevated scenes drawn from history,
mythology and the Bible. Landscape and portraits were regarded as lower
for their absence of people, still life lowest of all for its inanimate subject
matter, which, it was felt, could be reproduced as an act of artisanal
copying, without inspiration.
Academic attitudes challenged artists to develop skills which gave their

depiction of inanimate subjects drama and weight: Chardin, for example. His
approach was in part a reflection of the collecting habits influenced by the
dogmas of the Academy: his frequent use of overdoors and firescreens can
be explained by the fact that there was little demand for easel paintings,
which were often replaced by mirrors.
The list of artists in the syllabus is not to be regarded as restrictive. Other

significant names include Jean-Baptiste Oudry and Anne Vallayer-Costa.
The latter is an example of an artist challenging academic convention simply
through the development of outstanding technical abilities.
As the influence of the Academy diminished, so painters liberated

themselves from its conventions through expressive use of colour and
experiments with form and space: Manet, Courbet, Delacroix, etc.
36 Explain the importance of the Cubists to the still life genre. 20
Answers should demonstrate a close knowledge of a selection of Cubist

works, and relate them to a wider history of the genre.
Relevant topics include: use of simultaneous multiple viewpoints; restricted

palette; the employment of different levels of reality; use of new media such
as collage; motifs taken to the point of abstraction, simplified to elements
and basic geometrical forms. Cubist still life opens up a new means of
representing the complexity of the act of seeing, delivering a feeling of the
elusive, multiple and complex nature of reality.
At the same time, an adherence to inherited iconography: fruit, manmade

objects, musical instruments, books; allusions to the ‘vanitas’ tradition.
Relevant artists: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris, Fernand

Léger.

PUBLISHED
37 Discuss the relationship between still life and real life in the period 20
since 1950.
The question draws on the name of the topic, and it is expected that
candidates will broadly follow the parameters as laid down in the syllabus:
• The adoption of real objects, following Duchamp’s readymades,

implicitly bestowing on actual everyday objects the status of art. Mass
produced objects recreated in hyper-realist fashion: Jeff Koons,
Baccarat Crystal Set (1986). Installations, e.g. Tracy Enim, My Bed
(1999).
• Pop Art and the adoption of everyday objects as the subject of art,
suggesting a commentary on the commodification of objects through
commercial branding: Andy Warhol, Brillo Boxes (1964).
• The use of industrial materials in minimalist works: Carl Andre,

Equivalent VIII (1966).
• Real and mundane objects made strange in Surrealist art and its
followers, e.g. Claes Oldenburg, Clothespin (1976).
• Candidates should focus on the meanings created by the interplay of

real objects and art, whether the objects are treated as subject matter
or the materials for works in their own right. A strict adherence to the
rather arbitrary dates of the syllabus should not be insisted upon.

PUBLISHED
38 How do you account for the popularity of still life as a subject in 20

Western art?
To be convincing, answers will need to draw on examples from different

periods. The following areas may be explored; they are not intended to be
restrictive:
• Still Life functions as a direct means of representation of, and comment

on, a social system – from images of plenitude, with encoded
Protestant moral codes, in the Dutch republic to the imagery of
commercialisation in twentieth century Pop Art.
• Still Life speaks directly to the senses, evoking taste, smell and even
sound with the presence of musical instruments.
• From ancient times to the present, viewers have delighted in

illusionism. This is something Still Life has supplied from the trompe
l’oeil of the seventeenth century to hyper-realist art in modern times.
• Still Life is anchored both in the classical (with its origins in ancient
xenia) and the Christian traditions, making it a natural point of reference
for Western currents of thought.
39 Compare and contrast the approaches to still life taken by at least two 20
artists.
Answers may use examples from any artists in any medium. They should
present a comparative discussion, describing works in detail and
considering use of material, the artistic ideas behind the work and its impact
on the viewer.
Some reference to contextual issues and events may help elucidate the
chosen works.

PUBLISHED
40 Discuss the effects artists have achieved through the realistic 20

depiction of objects in the still life genre.
Candidates may discuss the astonishing detail and precision of Dutch and
Spanish still lifes from the seventeenth century (and elsewhere –
Caravaggio’s Basket of Fruit (c.1599) may be mentioned here as a
foundational work). Scrupulous attention to the textures of natural and
manmade objects continues across periods: Chardin, Goya, etc.
The realistic representation might be said to question the values of the

objects it portrays. Stability, mortality and wealth are all illusions: the
‘vanitas’ tradition contains a reminder of the ephemeral nature of luxury
goods; later movements such as Pop Art may be seen within this tradition,
both celebrating a subject and at the same time drawing attention to the
shallowness of materialism.
Candidates may also discuss the pleasures offered to the viewer by the
skilful depiction of surfaces: drawing our attention to textures, the passage
of light and shade, appealing to our sensuous imagination.
Realism directed towards mundane objects draws our attention to things

normally overlooked.

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Cambridge Assessment International Education

Cambridge Pre-U Certificate

ART HISTORY (PRINCIPAL) 9799/03

® IGCSE is a registered trademark.

This document consists of 34 printed pages.

© UCLES 2018 [Turn over

Generic Marking Principles

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

© UCLES 2018 Page 2 of 34

All questions carry 20 marks each.

© UCLES 2018 Page 3 of 34

• Comprehensive, detailed development and complex visual analysis in

• Detailed and extensively developed analysis in response to specific

• Relevant analysis with some detail and development in response to

• Mostly relevant analysis in response to specific examples or in certain

• Analysis lacks detail and has limited development. Materials and

© UCLES 2018 Page 4 of 34

• Little analysis of poorly chosen examples that lack relevance OR no

© UCLES 2018 Page 5 of 34

Question Answer Marks

Topic 1: Art and architecture in the city

1 Describe an area of your chosen city, explaining how it reflects the 20

Answers need to engage with the issue of historical development,

Some reference to history as a means of ‘decoding’ what is seen is

In general terms, candidates should offer an informed and precise account

Valid and relevant points not mentioned above should be rewarded.

© UCLES 2018 Page 6 of 34

Question Answer Marks

2 ‘Museums take art out of context, commercialise it and turn it into a 20

Candidates should show they understand the terms of the charge: an

Having understood the charge outlined in the question, candidates may

There is no prescription for a particular kind of answer. Candidates may

Valid and relevant points not mentioned above should be rewarded.

© UCLES 2018 Page 7 of 34

Question Answer Marks

3 With reference to at least two buildings, discuss a style of architecture 20

The question tests essentially a candidate’s understanding of a particular

Valid and relevant points not mentioned above should be rewarded.

Question Answer Marks

4 What do public monuments add to a city? Explain with reference to at 20

Answers should focus on a few case studies of public monuments (see

• Aesthetic pleasure, breaking up urban areas with works of decorative

• Ornaments to the experience of public parks and squares and other

• Variety of sculptural and architectural styles.

• Reminder of the city’s history, commemorating important individuals

Valid and relevant points not mentioned above should be rewarded.

© UCLES 2018 Page 8 of 34

Question Answer Marks

As discussed in the syllabus, ‘artist’ includes all media, including

Discussion of the work should include close discussion of some selected

Biographical and historical information may usefully inform the discussion:

The artist chosen may be canonical or lesser known, historical or