Long essay: comparison
Sharing grief: the Röttgen Pietà
- Units 3, 4 and 10
- 8 points
- About 35 minutes
You compare a required work shown on screen with a second work you choose and identify (from a short list or another relevant work), then explain similarities and differences and make a claim about what they mean, backed by visual and contextual evidence. On the exam: Section II, question 1 of 6: a long essay with a suggested 35 minutes. The free-response section is 2 hours and 50% of the score.
The question and its sources
Long essay: comparison. Suggested time: 35 minutes. On the exam you would see a color image of the work shown; here it is described in words. Write your answer as an essay in complete sentences, not a list.
The work, described in words
Röttgen Pietà. Late medieval Europe. c. 1300–1325 CE. Painted wood.
A carved and painted wooden sculpture a little under 1 meter (about 3 feet) tall, meant to be seen close up.
A seated woman, Mary, holds the dead body of Christ across her lap. Christ's body is small compared with hers, almost like a child's, and it is stiff and thin, with ribs and bony limbs clearly visible.
Christ's head hangs back. The wounds in his side, hands and feet are carved as large raised clusters of blood, painted red.
Mary's face is twisted in grief: her brows are pulled together and her mouth turns down. She looks at her son.
Some of the original paint survives on the figures' skin, clothes and wounds.
Source: Description written for this practice question. On the exam you would see color images of the work instead.
Suggested time: 35 minutes
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The essay
8 pointsWorks of art can invite viewers to share in grief or suffering. The Röttgen Pietà is one example. Select and completely identify another work of art that invites viewers to share in grief or suffering. You may select one of the works listed below or any other relevant work. In your response you should do the following: • Describe one visual characteristic of the Röttgen Pietà and one visual characteristic of your selected work. • Using specific visual evidence from the Röttgen Pietà and from your selected work, explain one similarity or difference in how each artist represents grief or suffering. • Using specific visual evidence from the Röttgen Pietà and from your selected work, explain another similarity or difference in how each artist represents grief or suffering. • Make a claim that explains a similarity or difference in how the intended setting or use of each work shaped the way viewers were meant to respond to it. Support your claim with specific contextual evidence from the Röttgen Pietà and from your selected work. Identify your selected work as fully as you can: title or designation, artist and/or culture of origin, date of creation, and materials. The identification point needs at least two accurate identifiers; if you choose a work from the list, they must be identifiers beyond the title given there. Extra identifiers that turn out to be wrong won't cost you the point. • Memorial Sheet for Karl Liebknecht • The Burghers of Calais • Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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