Logo

Arts and Crafts: Middle School: Grades 6, 7 and 8 Quiz - Sculpting (Questions)

This Arts and Crafts quiz is called 'Sculpting' and it has been written by teachers to help you if you are studying the subject at middle school. Playing educational quizzes is a fabulous way to learn if you are in the 6th, 7th or 8th grade - aged 11 to 14.

It costs only $12.50 per month to play this quiz and over 3,500 others that help you with your school work. You can subscribe on the page at Join Us

The most enduring and perhaps the greatest form of fine art known to man, sculpture has played a major role in the evolution of Western culture. Its history and development has mirrored the development of art itself, with sculpture providing key works to epitomize each era.

[readmore]

Sculpture has an enduring quality not seen in most art forms and it became an important influence on the development of Renaissance art in Italy. Along with architecture, it was the principal form of religious art - which for centuries was the driving force of European civilization. Even today, although continuously evolving and trying out new techniques, sculpture is still the leading method of expressing and commemorating both historical figures and events.

The art of sculpture is no longer restricted by traditional concepts, materials or methods of production. It is no longer exclusively representational, as classic sculptures were, but more often is entirely abstract. Nor is it purely solid and static. Modern sculpture may use empty space in an important way, and can also be kinetic and capable of movement. Finally, as well as being carved or modeled, there are many other techniques that can be used when sculpting such as assembly, gluing, projecting (holographically), or constructing in a wide variety of ways. As a result the traditional definition of sculpture no longer applies.

The sheer diversity of 21st century plastic art has left us with only one real characteristic: three dimensionality. Therefore, the current definition of sculpture is something like this: Sculpture is the only branch of the visual arts that is specifically concerned with expressive three-dimension form.

[/readmore]
1. One of the earliest Stone Age sculptures is an effigy called 'The Venus of Berekhat Ram'. What is it sculpted from?
[ ] Driftwood
[ ] Marble
[ ] Limestone
[ ] A pebble
2. Which civilization was famous for its (sometimes huge) sculptures portraying animal gods?
[ ] Ancient Greece
[ ] Ancient Egypt
[ ] Ancient Rome
[ ] Ancient Britain
3. What are the two principal elements of sculpture?
[ ] Material and form
[ ] Mass and space
[ ] Design and finish
[ ] Construction and perspective
4. An important aspect of a sculpture is which aspect of its surface?
[ ] Whether it is shiny or dull
[ ] Whether it is smooth or rough
[ ] Whether it is light or dark
[ ] Whether it is convex or concave
5. What quite often happened to sculptures created in the Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian times?
[ ] They were painted or covered in gold leaf
[ ] They were stolen by children
[ ] They collapsed when completed
[ ] They contained a secret message
6. Which of the following is not one of the four basic methods of sculpture?
[ ] Stone carving
[ ] Silversmithing
[ ] Bronze casting
[ ] Wood carving
7. Why has marble been such a popular material for sculptures?
[ ] Because it looks really good under museum lighting
[ ] Because it is plentiful and easy to get hold of
[ ] Because it is a cheap material and easily fixed if broken
[ ] Because it is relatively soft and easy to work, refine, and polish
8. What is the world's most famous example of clay sculpture?
[ ] The Terracotta Army
[ ] Rodin's 'The Thinker'
[ ] Michaelangelo's 'David'
[ ] The Elgin Marbles
9. If a sculpture is not free-standing, then what is it called?
[ ] A misgiving
[ ] A relief
[ ] A humor
[ ] A developement
10. A more modern sculpture, created by Damien Hirst, used an unusual material. What was it?
[ ] A live spider
[ ] A human skull
[ ] A torn envelope
[ ] A broken bottle
Logo
Arts and Crafts: Middle School: Grades 6, 7 and 8 Quiz - Sculpting (Answers)
1. One of the earliest Stone Age sculptures is an effigy called 'The Venus of Berekhat Ram'. What is it sculpted from?
[ ] Driftwood
[ ] Marble
[ ] Limestone
[x] A pebble
The pebble was found by an archeologist in 1981 and is said to represent the female form
2. Which civilization was famous for its (sometimes huge) sculptures portraying animal gods?
[ ] Ancient Greece
[x] Ancient Egypt
[ ] Ancient Rome
[ ] Ancient Britain
Ancient Egyptian sculpture was closely associated with Egyptian architecture and mostly concerned the temple and the tomb
3. What are the two principal elements of sculpture?
[ ] Material and form
[x] Mass and space
[ ] Design and finish
[ ] Construction and perspective
Mass refers to the sculpture's bulk, the solid bit contained within its surfaces. Space is the air around the solid sculpture
4. An important aspect of a sculpture is which aspect of its surface?
[ ] Whether it is shiny or dull
[ ] Whether it is smooth or rough
[ ] Whether it is light or dark
[x] Whether it is convex or concave
Convex surfaces express contentment, internal pressure and general "fullness", while concave surfaces suggest external pressure and possible collapse
5. What quite often happened to sculptures created in the Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian times?
[x] They were painted or covered in gold leaf
[ ] They were stolen by children
[ ] They collapsed when completed
[ ] They contained a secret message
Sadly, most traces of any pigments used have long since disappeared
6. Which of the following is not one of the four basic methods of sculpture?
[ ] Stone carving
[x] Silversmithing
[ ] Bronze casting
[ ] Wood carving
Silver is used for jewelry rather than sculpture. Clay firing is the fourth method - something we all perhaps have in our homes!
7. Why has marble been such a popular material for sculptures?
[ ] Because it looks really good under museum lighting
[ ] Because it is plentiful and easy to get hold of
[ ] Because it is a cheap material and easily fixed if broken
[x] Because it is relatively soft and easy to work, refine, and polish
Marble also produces a translucent finish similar to human skin, which could be why it was popular for human sculptures
8. What is the world's most famous example of clay sculpture?
[x] The Terracotta Army
[ ] Rodin's 'The Thinker'
[ ] Michaelangelo's 'David'
[ ] The Elgin Marbles
Also known as the 'Terracotta Warriors', the sculptures form a collection of 8,000 clay warriors and horses
9. If a sculpture is not free-standing, then what is it called?
[ ] A misgiving
[x] A relief
[ ] A humor
[ ] A developement
A relief sculpture is one where the design remains attached to a background, typically stone or wood
10. A more modern sculpture, created by Damien Hirst, used an unusual material. What was it?
[ ] A live spider
[x] A human skull
[ ] A torn envelope
[ ] A broken bottle
The sculpture was entitled 'For the Love of God' and was made from a human skull encrusted with platinum and diamonds