The next artist in this survey of
American artists is James Whistler; he is included in this survey of American
artists because he was born in the United States although the majority of his
artwork was completed in Europe. Whistler was born Massachusetts in 1834, but
nine years later his father moved the family to St. Petersburg, Russia, to work
on a construction of a railroad. The family returned to the United States in
1849. Two years later Whistler entered the U.S. military academy at West Point,
but he was unable to graduate. At the age of twenty-one, Whistler went to
Europe to study art despite familial objections and he remained in Europe until
his death.
Whistler worked in various art
forms, including etchings and lithographs. However, he is most famous for his
paintings, particularly Arrangement in
Gray and Black No 1; Portrait of the Artist’s Mother or Whistler’s Mother, as it is more
commonly known. This painting shows a side view of Whistler’s mother, dressed
in black and posing against a gray wall. The asymmetrical nature of the
portrait, with his mother seated off-center, is highly characteristic of
Whistler’s work.
1.
The
paragraph preceding this passage most likely discusses
a)
a
survey of eighteenth-century art
b)
a
different American artist
c)
Whistler’s
other famous paintings
d)
European
artists
2.
Which
of the following best describes information in the passage
a)
Several
artists are presented
b)
One
artist’s life and works are described
c)
Various
paintings are contrasted
d)
Whistler’s
family life is outlined
3.
Whistler
is considered an American artist because
a)
he
was born in America
b)
he
spent most of his life in America
c)
he
served in the U.S military
d)
he
created most of his famous art in America
4.
The
word ‘majority’ in line 2 is closest in meaning to
a)
seniority
b)
maturity
c)
large
pieces
d)
high
percentage
5.
Is
implied in the passage that Whistler’s family was
a)
unable
to find any work at all in Russia
b)
highly
supportive of his desire to pursue art
c)
working
class
d)
military
6.
The
word ‘objection’ in line 7 is closest in meaning to
a)
protest
b)
goals
c)
agreements
d)
battles
7.
In
line 8, the ‘etchings’ are
a)
a
type of painting
b)
the
same as a lithograph
c)
an
art form introduced by Whistler
d)
an
art form involving engraving
8.
The
word ‘asymmetrical’ in line 11 is closest in meaning to
a)
proportionate
b)
uneven
c)
balanced
d)
lyrical
9.
Which
of the following is NOT true according to the passage
a)
Whistler
worked with a variety of art forms.
b)
Whistler’s mother is not the official name of his
painting.
c)
Whistler
is best known for his etchings
d)
Whistler’s mother is painted in somber tones
10.
Where
in the passage does the author mentioned the types of artwork that Whistler was
involved in
a)
Lines
1-3
b)
Lines
4-5
c)
Lines
6-7
d)
Lines
8-10
ANSWER
KEY
1.
B
2.
B
3.
A
4.
D
5.
C
6.
A
7.
D
8.
B
9.
C
10.
D
