NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 1 of 10
Assessment Schedule – 2006
Art History: Examine an art movement (90230)
Evidence Statement
Question
Achievement
ONE
Key issues of contemporary
Māori protest movement are
identified; social and historical
factors that have provoked these
interests are described.
Key issues may include:
 appropriation of te whenua,
the land, and specific
historically associated events
like Parihaka
 historical and contemporary
injustice and inequity
 te Tiriti
 historical loss of and
reclaiming of cultural heritage
 race relations, equity and loss
of identity.
Achievement with Merit
As for Achievement, plus:
Representative works by TWO
artists are explained in terms of
how the works represent, in
different ways, issues of the
contemporary Māori protest
movement.
Eg Protest-related works
focusing on reclaiming cultural
heritage:
Achievement with Excellence
As for Achievement with Merit,
plus:
Relationships between the art
works, the Māori protest
movement and their contexts are
comprehensively explained for
each art work.
Eg Robert Jahnke, Ngā Ata O Te
Whenua, 1990
The interplay of Christian and
Māori iconography suggests the
interrelationships woven through
the Treaty of Waitangi – ‘the
This sculptural installation
shadow of the land has been
comprises a number of
taken by the Queen, while the
structures resembling tools –
substance remains with the
picks,
axes
and
sledgehammers.
Māori’ (Nopara Panakero). In
Social and historical factors may
The
tools
represent
those
used
this instance, Jahnke uses the
include:
in
early
trading
and
in
the
series of structures to invert the
 historical loss of cultural
pioneering
enterprise,
the
relation: ‘Inversion of form, the
knowledge
processes
of
colonisation
and
waxing and waning of structures,
 conflicting cultural values –
appropriation.
The
works
also
refer to the usurpation of mana
eg on land or place
resemble Tau cross shapes.
and land. The substance of the
 contemporary Treaty claims
They carry signs, including
land has been taken by the
 changing status of
crosses, triangles and spirals,
Queen while the shadow
artifacts/taonga
that have their origins in signs
remains with the Māori.’
 socioeconomic difference
used in earlier Māori traditions,
 race relations
Eg Treaties: ‘All art is politics
at Parihaka for example. They
 gender relations.
are stained on browns, blacks,
and all politics is art. The moko
deep reds; the colours of earth
and the cross remain potent
and blood, and colours found in images of protest. The cross,
whakairo of earlier Māori art. In
with its additional religious
drawing together from this range meaning and subtexts of
of sources the work combines
domination, has been a primary
signs from often disparate
symbol for artists dealing with
sources that reveal something of the polemics of issues involving
the complexity of the sources
the Treaty of Waitangi.
that inform notions of identity,
Māori women like Emare
and competing traditions that
Karaka, Robyn Kahukiwa, Kura
inform this, today and since
Te Waru Rewiri, and Diane
Pākehā settlement. The work is Prince have embraced the cross
a statement of protest against
as an indictment of Pākehā
the Pākehā appropriation of the colonisation.’ (Mataora p 126)
land, and the associated loss of
identities.
Robert Jahnke, Ngā Ata O Te
Whenua, 1990
Eg Emare Karaka, Treaties
(Nuclear Mother, ANZUS,
Waitangi, Gleneagles), 1984
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 2 of 10
Question
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
In the four panels that constitute
this work, Karaka draws together
images and events from our dual
European heritage that have
come to signify failed or
uncomfortable cultural relations:
failed treaties (ANZUS, Waitangi,
Gleneagles), the crucifixion, and
images of skulls, dead bodies,
contorted mask-like forms. The
image is suffused with dark
blacks and bloodlike reds. It is
an uncomfortable,
confrontational work that forces
the viewer into uncomfortable
associations of ideas.
TWO
Characteristics that indicate a
concern to sustain traditional
Māori art forms, methods and
processes are identified.
Characteristics might include:
 maintaining traditional forms
or structures – eg Wharenui
 maintaining carving
traditions
 preserving key colour
conventions
 preserving traditional
themes – whakapapa,
mythologies, etc
 sustaining traditional craft
technologies – eg Weaving,
knotting (tāniko).
At least TWO aspects of the
contexts that have lead to the
concern to sustain traditional
Māori art forms, methods and
processes are described.
Contexts might include:
 challenges posed by
contemporary materials and
technology – custom board,
routers, synthetic materials
 loss of cultural knowledge
 conflicting cultural interests
preoccupying contemporary
artists
 contemporary drive to
reclaiming cultural identities
and practices.
As for Achievement, plus:
At least TWO art works that are
representative of the concern to
sustain traditional Māori art
forms, methods or processes
are explained to show how they
represent the concern.
Eg For sustaining traditional
forms or motifs for representing
whakapapa, using the
emblematic language of the
wharenui.
June Grant, Te-Awa-I-Manukau
Whakarewarewa, 1989
Grant includes a combination of
images that might be found
inside a wharenui, the meeting
place of a community and the
symbolic embodiment of
whakapapa. She includes
painted images of parts of
poupou, photographs of female
ancestors holding or wearing
taonga, and the emblem of the
house itself, with an emphasis
on the bargeboards, or maihi,
the protective arms of the
ancestor.
Grant’s work also challenges
tradition by repositioning the
place of women in the
whakapapa, as represented in
the wharenui. Traditionally the
carved poupou along the sides
of the house represented the
principal male figures of
ancestral lineage. More recently
photographs of important
matriarchal figures are included
As for Achievement with Merit,
plus:
Relationships between the
works, artists’ concerns and
their contexts are
comprehensively explained.
June Grant, Te-Awa-I-Manukau
Whakarewarewa, 1989
Grant successfully refers to the
ways identity may be framed
through whakapapa, as a
record of iwi history embodied
in the decorative
embellishments, painted,
carved, woven or photographic,
of the interior of the wharenui.
The work is framed by a
wooden structure that refers
directly to the architectural
structure of the wharenui, the
symbolic representation of the
ancestral lineage. The
background patterns reproduce
geometric tukutuku designs
from the internal wall linings;
the manufacture of these was
traditionally the province of
women. The photographic
record of matriarchal lineage
supplants the traditional carved
representations of male
ancestors.
Erenora Puketapu-Hetet, Kete
Whakairo, 1999
Response to loss of weaving
traditions during the twentieth
century: ‘In the early years of
the twentieth century,
cloakmaking (and weaving in
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 3 of 10
Question
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
on the walls of some marae.
Here Grant has focused
exclusively on matriarchal
lineage.
general) fell into bad times,
seeming almost to be
exhausted by the creativity and
innovation that had inspired its
remarkable progress for over a
hundred years.’ Depletion of
natural sources of materials;
economic disruptions;
urbanisation; deaths of old
skilled artists.
Eg For preserving traditional
methods and processes.
Erenora Puketapu-Hetet, Kete
Whakairo, 1999
THREE
Key characteristics of
Regionalism are identified.
At least TWO aspects of the
contexts in which the New
Zealand Regionalist art
movement developed are
described.
Characteristics:
 depiction of the land, rural
activities, and development
in the regions of New
Zealand
 subjects that combine manmade structures and
features of the New Zealand
landscape
 simplification and flattening
of forms
 broad areas of flat colour,
often contained in distinct
outlines – a hard-edged
style
 carefully planned and wellordered compositions.
Contexts:
 The La Trobe Scheme – La
Trobe imported teachers
from England to improve art
education in New Zealand –
Robert Field and
 Sustains traditional form,
kete, or woven basket or
bag.
 Sustains traditional weaving
and knotting techniques
 Sustains traditional flax
processing and dying
techniques and pigment
sources.
 Sustains traditional pattern
forms.
‘In recent years however,
cloakmaking (and weaving) has
been part of the remarkable
revival that has been taking
place in Māori art as a whole …
in turn, this significant
rejuvenation is part of a much
wider renaissance of Māori
cultural identity.’ Revival of
Māori language; teaching Māori
art and culture; revival of
cultural protocols establish the
broader context for sustenance
of traditional forms and
processes.
As for Achievement, plus:
As for Achievement with Merit,
plus:
At least TWO appropriate
paintings are discussed to
explain how they are
representative of the
Regionalist movement.
Eg Doris Lusk, Tobacco Fields,
Nelson, 1941
 Shows the development of a
rural region – the tobacco
industry.
 The composition is wellordered – a foreground zone
containing the buildings for
drying hops and a road
running parallel to it, a middistance zone containing the
tobacco fields, and a zone
for the hills rising up behind.
 Colours are earthy and
applied in fairly broad areas,
eg the hills have large
expanses of yellow, but
shadows are used to define
the hollows.
 High viewpoint enables the
key elements of the tobacco
fields and buildings to gain
prominence.
Eg William Sutton, Dry
The discussion
comprehensively explains
relationships between art
works, the Regionalist art
movement and its context.
Eg Lusk trained in Dunedin and
was fully aware of Regionalist
interests among artists in the
South Island – she moved to
Christchurch in 1941. Her works
are often dominated by manmade structures showing the
industrial progress of New
Zealand, eg Power House, Tuai
1948. In Tobacco Fields the
buildings appear in the
foreground but a large expanse
of fields give prominence to the
rural enterprise.
Bill Sutton was trained at the
Canterbury School of Art from
1934–38 and associated with
the Christchurch Group of
artists. He travelled to London
in 1947 and learned of plein-air
painting, with its focus on light
and atmosphere. Following his
return to New Zealand, his style
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 4 of 10
Question
Achievement




FOUR
Christopher Perkins made a
significant impact through
their encouragement of a
distinctly New Zealand art
and their teaching of
“modern” styles, eg postimpressionism.
Regionalism emerged in the
1930s and 1940s.
Development of a distinctive
New Zealand identity in art –
critics such as A. R. D.
Fairburn called for greater
recognition of the unique
characteristics of local
subjects “there is no golden
mist in the air … to breed a
school of painters from the
stock of Turner …” (M.
Dunn, A Concise History of
New Zealand Painting,
p 81)
Isolation of New Zealand – it
was not always possible for
aspiring New Zealand artists
to travel to see European art
developments, eg during
WWII, travel was
impractical.
American Regionalists – eg
the influence of Grant Wood,
Thomas Hart Benton.
TWO New Zealand artists who
worked at a similar time or who
have a similar style are
selected. At least TWO aspects
of the artistic or social contexts
in which these New Zealand
artists worked are described.
The key characteristics of their
work are identified.
Eg nineteenth-century
topographical artists – Charles
Heaphy and William Fox
Contexts
 Topographical landscapes
from the 1830s–1860s were
done for the purpose of
recording the lie of the land,
and for encouraging new
colonists. Areas that would
be suitable for clearing for
farmland and areas that had
easy access to water
transport were primary
concerns. Paintings were
used to demonstrate that a
civilised life was possible in
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
September, Bruce Creek, 1949
 Rural Canterbury – depicts a
typical wooden-railed bridge,
dry riverbed and the
Canterbury foothills.
 The landscape is shown
devoid of human
participants, although the
bridge clearly indicates the
development of rural New
Zealand.
 Outlining of the bridge, the
edges of the hills and the
shingles give a crisp, linear
appearance.
 The light is bright and casts
small shadows (eg the
railings of the bridge)
suggesting the specific time
of early afternoon.
 Contrasts in colour define
zones within the painting, eg
the grey area of the river
bed stones, the yellow hills,
the snow-capped white and
blue of the Alps.
became more hard-edged and
geometrical, eg the horizontal
form of the bridge aligns with
the far edge of the riverbank.
As for Achievement, plus:
As for Achievement with Merit,
plus:
At least TWO appropriate art
works are discussed to explain
how they are representative of
the selected ‘movement’.
Eg Charles Heaphy, Kauri
Forest on the Wairoa River,
Kaipara, 1840
 As a colonial artist,
Heaphy’s role was to record
colonial life, hence the
milling of Kauri. Heaphy
illustrates the success of
logging without any sign of
the dangers involved in
logging.
 Heaphy was an amateur
artist – he uses simple
devices – compositional
divisions of foreground (men
manoeuvring logs), middle
ground (trees) and
background (forest). Vertical
emphasis created by trees is
balanced by horizontals in
the foreground and the
The discussion
comprehensively explains
relationships between art
works, the art ‘movement’, and
its context.
Eg Charles Heaphy, Kauri
Forest on the Wairoa River,
Kaipara, 1840
 Heaphy was an artist and
draughtsman for the
New Zealand Company –
the company used such
images as advertisements
for the prosperity that was
promised to settlers coming
to New Zealand. The
painting depicts an
abundance of excellent
wood for trade and building.
 The work serves to
document the process by
which kauri was felled and
cut into planks – a two-man
saw and the huts of timber
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 5 of 10
Question
FIVE
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New Zealand, that there was
plenty of wood available to
build homes etc and that
there were employment
opportunities.
 Watercolours used because
they were portable, quick
drying, more readily
available than oils and
suitable for small paintings
to send back to England.
The artists were often
amateur, without formal art
training, and were unskilled
in the use of oils.
diagonal direction of the
forest in the background.
The middle distance trees
are a framing device,
providing a backdrop for the
activities in the front and a
method for leading the eye
to view the great expanse of
trees still to be milled.
 The function of the work is to
inform – the audience is
given specific information on
the location (“on the Wairoa
River”), lending credibility to
the image.
cutters are shown.
 As with most works done in
this period, the painting is
fairly small (47.6  38.1 cm)
and done in watercolour to
enable it to be transported
and shown to prospective
settlers.
Key Characteristics
 The artists faithfully
recorded the geographical
forms of the landscape and
the progress made in
settling New Zealand.
 Use of watercolours with
pastel hues.
 Early landscapes were often
panoramic, giving an
expansive view of the land
with the inclusion of small
settlements.
Eg William Fox, New Plymouth
in 1849
 The painting is made up of
four sheets joined together
to enable a panoramic view
of New Plymouth and its
environs.
 It shows the scenic beauty
of Mt. Egmont alongside the
development of the town of
New Plymouth, with neat
houses, Anglican church
and farms, and access to
the coast for shipping and
fishing.
 The painting is executed in
watercolour with a
straightforward zonal
organisation of space.
At least TWO aspects of the
French Revolution as a context
for neoclassicism are
described.
As for Achievement, plus:
Key features of the neoclassical
movement are identified.
Contexts:
 The discovery of the buried
cities of Herculaneum (1738)
and Pompeii (1748) revived
interest in classical ideas –
some of the ideas had
affinity with the concepts of
nationhood and liberalism
expressed by
revolutionaries.
 French Revolution (began
1789) – the revolutionary
events and ideas of liberty
provided a wealth of subject
matter – such subjects were
considered worthy, ahead of
TWO appropriate paintings are
selected and discussed to
explain how they are
representative of the
neoclassical art movement.
Eg William Fox, New Plymouth
in 1849
 Fox was closely associated
with the New Zealand
Company and was involved
in exploring New Zealand to
identify land suitable for
development. His painting of
New Plymouth emphasises
the suitability of the land and
sanitises the environment so
that the town appears to be
well-established and
civilised and the land
appears to offer prosperity
and be easy to farm.
 He was an amateur artist
and spent much of his life
involved in political activities
in the colony. Nevertheless
his watercolours are notable
for their tonal qualities and
New Plymouth in 1849
displays Fox’s ability to
capture the beauty of the
scenery.
As for Achievment with Merit,
plus:
Eg David, Death of Marat, 1793
The discussion
comprehensively explains
relationships between the
paintings, neoclassicism and
the context of the French
Revolution.
 The painting is a tribute to
Marat, a martyr of the
Revolution. Marat, a Jacobin
leader, was assassinated by
Charlotte Corday, a Royalist.
 David idealised Marat, as
was typical of classicism –
he is shown as a young man
but was actually 50 years
old when he died. He
suffered from a skin disease
but David depicts him as
healthy.
 The slightly textured
Eg David, Death of Marat, 1793
 the depiction of a heroic
figure who fought and died
for the revolution is a
favoured theme in the
French Revolutionary
period.
 the political circumstances
led directly to Marat’s death,
since Charlotte Corday
blamed Marat for the
destruction of the Girondins,
a monarchist party in the
Assembly.
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 6 of 10
Question
Achievement
genre, landscape, still-life,
etc, as they contained
important moral messages.
Characteristics:
 subjects – often selected
from ancient Greek and
Roman legends – ‘history’
paintings emphasise
morality and duty to nation,
heroic subjects to inspire
revolutionary zeal.
 inclusion of classical motifs,
eg classical columns.
 well-ordered, balanced
compositions
 figures arranged across the
picture plane – placing
emphasis on the foreground
and restricting depth
 frozen action – capturing a
crucial moment of a story
 use of dramatic gestures
 clearly defined forms and
classical proportions
 strong colour – often primary
colours
 chiaroscuro effects
 invisible brushwork –
creating an appearance of a
smooth picture surface.
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background is sufficiently
plain to leave the focus upon
Marat – such backgrounds
were frequently used for
neoclassical portraiture (eg
Ingres’ Madame Devaucay
1807).
 The packing crate
substitutes for a tombstone
upon which is inscribed ‘À
MARAT’ in Roman lettering.
 The highlighted body and
shadow areas are typical of
the chiaroscuro effects
favoured by the
neoclassicists.
 David, a supporter of the
Revolution, was keen to
accept the commission to
paint Marat, although the
painting was returned to him
two years later when the
Jacobin extremists were
ousted from the political
scene.
 David has carefully recorded
the circumstances of his
death – in the bath tub to
relieve his skin condition, a
knife wound beneath his
collar bone, and Marat, quill
in hand, murdered while
working on behalf of the
revolution.
 Despite the unusual
circumstances of this
depiction of a hero, David
follows Neo-Classical
principles in conveying a
calm scene, frozen at a
moment in time, with a tight
compositional structure.
David, The Sabine Women,
1799
 A ‘history’ painting –
according to Roman legends
the Romans had abducted
Sabine women who then
married Roman men. Later
the Sabine men tried to
reclaim their women in a
battle with the Romans.
 Contains classical motifs:
shield contains reference to
Roma; statue illustrates the
figures of Romulus and
Remus; male figures have
idealised bodies and
classical proportions;
Greek-style drapery for the
women; the building at the
top left is a Roman temple
with portico.
 Rational approach to
composition: foreground
figures contained within a
rectangular form, repetition
of the triangular forms of the
legs placed at regular
intervals across the
foreground plane.
 Figures and objects are
spread across the picture
plane.
 Depth is restricted through
use of less distinct forms in
the background.
 Figures are in mid-action – a
significant point in the story
when Hersilia, with loyalties
to both Romans and
Sabines, places herself
between the combatants.
 Accents of red are used
among a sombre earthy
David, The Sabine Women,
1799
 The heroic actions of the
Sabine women supports the
moral high-ground so
favoured in this
Revolutionary period. The
warring actions of the men
reinforce public messages
concerning the defence of
the country.
 The work references past
artists such as Poussin, who
similarly returned to classical
themes, eg Poussin’s The
Rape of the Sabine Women,
c. 1635.
 David supported the
Revolution and believed that
the new French republic was
reincarnating the virtues of
the ancient Roman republic.
While the Sabine Women is
not directly a republican
subject, the virtues of public
duty, self-sacrifice and
loyalty would have been
recognised by contemporary
viewers.
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 7 of 10
Question
Achievement
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palette.
 Light and shade contrasts
serve to highlight faces and
gestures.
SIX
At least TWO aspects of the
contexts in which realist art
emerged are described.
The key characteristics of
realism are identified.
Contexts:
 The concerns of French
society in the mid-19th
century are described in
relationship to the realist art
movement. Realism began
in the mid-19th century, in
reaction to the highly
subjective approach of
romanticism.
 Most realists were staunch
republicans who believed in
justice for the working
classes, eg Courbet’s antigovernment activities led to
a six-month jail sentence.
 The 1848 revolutions
pushed liberal ideas to the
forefront and artists wanted
to reflect the importance of
the people.
Characteristics
 Realist art shocked many
contemporaries, due to its
audacious size and subjects
and ‘unpolished’ techniques.
 Realists attempted to depict
the human behaviour and
surroundings of ordinary
people – often the working
class in humble conditions.
 Real, contemporary events
were selected.
 Some realists focussed
upon landscape (eg the
Barbizon School), and
sketched en plein air to
capture natural and truthful
depictions of the
countryside.
 Aimed to present people in a
non-romanticised manner.
 Large scale used to
establish that realist art was
as worthy as history
subjects.
As for Achievement, plus:
At least TWO realist paintings
are discussed to explain how
they are representative of
realism.
Eg Courbet, Burial at Ornans,
1849
 The subject is taken from life
and inspired by the funeral
of Courbet’s own
grandfather.
 It conforms to the large
scale of history paintings,
despite depicting an
everyday event where the
person buried is of no
particular significance
outside this village.
 Peasants are shown lifesize.
 Villagers are identifiable as
real people, eg the village
priest Bonnet, and Courbet
includes his sisters among
the mourners.
 The dark, sombre colouring
gives the appearance of
conveying the ‘real’ colours
of the event.
 Courbet mixed sand and
gravel with his paint to
texture the paint – this went
against acceptable practices
of the day.
Eg Daumier, Uprising, c. 1860
 Depicts one of the many
insurrections in Paris in the
mid-19th century.
 Shows working-class figures
(in simple rough dress)
marching through the
streets.
 Using oils, Daumier
sparingly sketches in the
figures, who become less
detailed to suggest a large
crowd on the streets.
 Limited palette gives the
sense of the grim Paris
streets.
As for Achievement with Merit,
plus:
The discussion
comprehensively explains
relationships between the
paintings, realism and the
context of the art movement.
 Realism is applied to far
wider concerns than those of
an identifiable artistic style.
 By 1840, the consequences
of the Industrial Revolution
were being felt –
urbanisation, proliferation of
slums, the impact of
railways.
 Imbalances in the structure
of society were being
questioned, eg Daumier’s
Third Class Railway
Carriage c. 1862.
 Baudelaire’s essay “The
Painter of Modern Life” was
influential in expressing the
view that artists should draw
their subjects from
contemporary life and art
works should be suitable for
wide circulation (eg
Daumier’s cartoons fulfil this
requirement).
 Realism was a reaction
against subjectivity.
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 8 of 10
Question
SEVEN
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 Earthy palettes.
 Courbet applied paint
broadly with a palette knife,
rather than using a fine
brush.
Eg Millet, The Gleaners, 1857
 From the Barbizon School.
 Combines peasants working
the fields with landscape.
 Unsentimental, stereotyped
representation of the
peasant women, but treated
with reverence.
 Natural, earthy palette.
 Sketched outdoors although
the oil painting would have
been done in the studio.
At least TWO aspects of the
context in which the Selwyn
style of church architecture
developed are described.
As for Achievement, plus:
Key characteristics of the
Selwyn style are identified.
Contexts:
 The Gothic style was Bishop
Selwyn’s preferred style for
many of the churches built in
New Zealand in the 1840s.
Selwyn believed that,
through adopting
ecclesiological principles
evident in medieval forms of
architecture, “the church
would be spiritually
renewed” (P. Shaw, A
History of New Zealand
Architecture, p 24).
 The materials available in
New Zealand determined
the development of Selwyn’s
building programme.
Construction in wood
emerged from the failures
experienced with stone, eg
the scoria structure used for
St. Stephen’s Church,
Parnell, began to
disintegrate from the
moment it was built.
 Rather than the renowned
stone Gothic cathedrals in
England and Europe,
wooden medieval buildings
became the models for the
wooden churches built in
New Zealand.
 The new church-building
programme arose from the
context of the development
of the Anglican Church from
its initial missionary
TWO appropriate buildings are
discussed to explain how they
are representative of the
Selwyn style of church
architecture in New Zealand.
Eg
Old St. Paul’s, Wellington, 1866
 Originally consisted of a
nave, apsidal sanctuary, two
side aisles, octagonal vestry
and tower over the entry –
this was in keeping with the
wishes of ecclesiologists
and follows Gothic practices.
 Large Gothic pointed arch
windows, and contained
within them are two smaller
arched windows.
 The steep spire and
decorative windows are
Gothic in style.
 The interior has exposed
Gothic pointed rafters.
 The trefoil motif (symbolic of
the Trinity) is employed to
decorate the wood where
the beams and columns join.
Achievement with Excellence
As for Achievement with Merit,
plus:
The discussion
comprehensively explains the
relationships between the
selected buildings, the Selwyn
style, and its context.
 Classical styles, rather than
Gothic, were favoured for
public buildings, so the most
numerous examples of
Gothic Revival design are
churches.
 Selwyn was a member of
the Ecclesiological Society
(also known as the
Cambridge Camden
Society) whose ideas led to
neo-Gothic churches which
followed strict ecclesiological
principles being built all
around the world – eg the
design of Old St. Paul’s
follows the layout deemed
appropriate for ecclesiastical
buildings.
 The Ecclesiological Society
preferred the ‘Pointed
Gothic’ style but economics
in the new colonies led to
more modest adaptations –
eg St. John’s College
Chapel, built in wood with
small rectangular, rather
than arched windows, small
bell tower, etc.
 The ecclesiologists
condemned the covering of
beams and rafters, so
framing was exposed. This
suited the wooden
constructions that Thatcher
designed, where exterior
vertical framing could be
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 9 of 10
Question
Achievement
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functions to the development
of a church to cater for the
new colonists.
 In the mid to late 19th
century, some architects
also adapted Gothic styles
for public buildings – by that
time there was a slightly
wider range of materials
available, such as brick.
both decorated and
functional through the
addition of cross-bracing, eg
St. John’s College Chapel.
The use of exposed interior
bracing and beams is
demonstrated in Old St.
Paul’s.
 Following his desire to
revive medieval building
designs, Sir George Gilbert
Scott originally suggested a
wooden building for
Christchurch Cathedral, but
the discovery of suitable
stone in Canterbury led to
an alternative plan in stone.
Characteristics:
 Thatcher, who designed
many of the Selwyn
churches, adapted the
Gothic style to wood by
having an exterior of vertical
boarding with cross-bracing
that was sometimes
patterned to create a Gothic
arch shape.
 Gabled roofs with a steep
pitch.
 Windows were normally
rectangular, but the
rectangular shape was offset
by diamond panes, and
sometimes decorative use of
timber created an
impression of the pointed
arch form associated with
the Gothic style.
 The floor layout followed
ecclesiastical principles of
the Latin cross, with
chancel.
 A pointed tower often
replaced the Gothic spire.
EIGHT
At least TWO aspects of the
context in which Classicism
was influential in New Zealand
architecture are described.
The key elements of the
classical style of architecture
are identified.
Contexts:
 In his A History of New
Zealand Architecture, Peter
Shaw has a chapter called
‘The Architecture of
Prosperity’. New Zealand
had reached a stage in its
development as a colony
where government, banks
and churches began to fund
substantial building projects.
 In 19th-century Europe, and
Achievement with Excellence
As for Achievement, plus:
An explanation is given of the
ways in which TWO appropriate
buildings are representative of
classicism in architecture.
Eg St. Patrick’s Church,
Oamaru, 1893–94. F. W. Petre
Exterior
 The portico has an imposing
set of six Corinthian
columns.
 Triangular pediment.
 Faced with Oamaru stone.
 Twin cupolas.
 Niche sculptures decorate
the side towers.
 Symmetrical design.
As for Achievement with Merit,
plus:
The discussion
comprehensively explains the
relationships between the
selected buildings, classicism
and the contexts in which they
were made.
Eg Clyde Town Hall, 1869 (now
Lodge Dunstan) and adjoining
Athenaeum Library, 1874
 The town of Clyde served
the Dunstan goldfield and
therefore had wealth and
some importance during the
goldrushes. The use of
classical design for the
Town Hall and Library
reflected the desire of small
NCEA Level 2 Art History (90230) 2006 — page 10 of 10
Question
Achievement
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in America, classical styles
were being selected for
public buildings as a means
of conveying the stability of
the State, eg in the designs
of the American architect
Thomas Jefferson.
 It was felt that the
appearance of prosperity
could best be suggested
through adopting
established architectural
styles such as classical or
Gothic, ie developing towns
and cities in the manner of
the great European cities.
 Desire to emanate the
perceived classical virtues of
balance, grace and
harmony.
Characteristics:
 Inclusion of classical orders
– Doric, Ionic, Corinthian.
 Use of Roman arches and
porticoes.
 Symmetrical design –
aesthetic proportions
achieved by repeating
modules.
 Sense of stability of
structure.
 Stone and brick used for
their permanence.
 Emphasis on the façade.
Achievement with Excellence
Interior
 A central dome.
 A colonnade of Corinthian
columns, on either side of
the congregational seating,
support an elegant
entablature.
 Roman arches at the altar
end.
Eg Clyde Town Hall, 1869 (now
Lodge Dunstan) and adjoining
Athenaeum Library, 1874
 The former Town Hall is a
small building with classical
appearance.
 Four columns at the front
create a portico effect. The
columns are simple and do
not adopt all the features of
any of the classical orders –
closest to the Doric order but
without a supporting
stereobate.
 Triangular, but unadorned
pediment.
 The door and windows are
sloped inwards and not
clearly typical of classicism.
 The Athenaeum Library has
two pairs of pilasters and an
arch to frame each window.
 Decorative scrolls support a
rectangular parapet.
towns to establish
themselves and give a
sense of permanency.
 The Greek name
Athenaeum for the Library
also gives weight to the
importance of this small
town facility.
 The limited use of classical
decoration was a suitable
approach given the small
scale of the buildings.
Judgement Statement
Achievement
Describe the contexts of the art
movement.
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Explain how selected works are
representative of the movement.
Comprehensively explain
relationships between art works, the
art movement and its context.
M
E
and
Identify the key characteristics of an
art movement.
A