2016 AP® Art History - Free-Response Questions - Section II

Sep 30, 2026

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2016 AP® Art History Section II provides six free-response prompts covering long and short essay tasks. Students must answer directly in essay form, using visual and contextual evidence, and address all aspects of each question. Questions 1–2 emphasize identifying artworks and analyzing similarities and differences in how humans relate to the natural world and how light can convey spiritual meaning. Students are guided by suggested timing, required identifiers (title/artist/culture/date/materials), and rules about acceptable response format and references to an images booklet.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Section II

Directions and timing

Question 1: Humans and the natural world

Question 2: Light and spiritual meaning

Question 3: Architectural attribution

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

AP® Art History 2016 Free-Response Questions © 2016 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks ofthe College Board. Visit [the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org](the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org). AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: [apcentral.collegeboard.org](apcentral.collegeboard.org). 2016 AP® ART HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS ART HISTORY SECTION II Total time—2 hours 6 Questions Directions: You have two hours to answer the six questions in this section. Questions 1 and 2 are long essay questions, and you are advised to spend 30 minutes on each. Questions 3 through 6 are short essay questions, and you are advised to spend 15 minutes on each. The proctor will announce when each time interval has elapsed, but you may proceed freely from one question to another. Some of the questions refer to images, which are shown in the orange Section II: Free Response, Images booklet. Read the questions carefully. You can receive full credit only by directly answering all aspects of the question. For Questions 1 and 2, use the blank space provided with the questions for scratch work or to organize your responses. Notes in the blank space will not be scored. You must answer each question in essay form on the lined pages of this booklet. An outline or bulleted list is not acceptable. Note: This exam uses the chronological designations B.C.E. (before the common era) and C.E. (common era) . These designations correspond to B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (anno Domini), which are used in some art history resources. © 2016 The College Board. Visit [the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org](the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org). -2- GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 2016 AP® ART HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS 1. Suggested time: 30 minutes. The work shown is Fan Kuan’s Travelers among Mountains and Streams, painted circa 1000 C.E. In this work, Fan Kuan presents a relationship between humans and the natural world. Select and completely identify another work of art that presents or creates a relationship between humans and the natural world. You may select a work from the list below or any other relevant work from South, East, and Southeast Asia (300 B.C.E.–1980 C.E.), West and Central Asia (500 B.C.E.–1980 C.E.), or the Pacific (700–1980 C.E.) . For each work, describe the relationship between humans and the natural world. Then, using both visual and contextual evidence, analyze both the similarities and the differences between the two works with regard to how they present or create a relationship between humans and the natural world. When identifying the work you select, you should try to include all of the following identifiers: title or designation, name of the artist and/or culture of origin, date of creation, and materials. You will earn credit for the identification if you provide at least two accurate identifiers, but you will not be penalized if any additional identifiers you provide are inaccurate. If you select a work from the list below, you must include at least two accurate identifiers beyond those that are given. Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan The Court of Gayumars Navigation chart Ryoan-ji Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura) © 2016 The College Board. Visit [the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org](the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org). -3- GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 2016 AP® ART HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS © Fan Kuan / Corbis © 2016 The College Board. Visit [the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org](the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org). -4- GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 2016 AP® ART HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS Note: There are no images provided for Question 2. 2. Suggested time: 30 minutes. Many artists use the metaphoric, conceptual, and/or formal

FAQs

What response format is required for Section II free-response questions?

Answers must be written in essay form on the lined pages of the booklet. Outlines or bulleted lists are not acceptable, and scratch notes in the provided space are not scored.

How is time allocated for Questions 1 and 2 versus Questions 3–6?

Questions 1 and 2 are long essays with 30 minutes suggested for each. Questions 3 through 6 are short essays with 15 minutes suggested for each.

What should students include when identifying the artwork they select?

Students should try to include identifiers such as title or designation, artist and/or culture of origin, date of creation, and materials. At least two accurate identifiers are required for identification credit.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Oliver