Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in an art history class.
Professor: Today we're going to look at the influence of Japanese woodblock prints on European art in the late 19th century. These prints, known as ukiyo-e, began arriving in Europe as wrapping paper for porcelain. Artists like Monet and Degas were immediately captivated by their flat areas of color, unusual angles, and lack of traditional perspective. But perhaps the most dramatic impact was on Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh, who lived in Paris at the time, collected hundreds of these prints. He copied some of them in oil paint to understand their techniques. For example, he made a painting based on a print by Hiroshige, a famous Japanese artist. Van Gogh was particularly struck by the prints' bold outlines and the way they cropped objects at the edge of the frame. He started to apply these ideas to his own landscapes, using strong outlines and placing a tree trunk or a bridge partially off-center to create a more dynamic composition. So, while van Gogh is known as a post-impressionist, his work shows a deep debt to Japanese art.
❓ 문제 According to the professor, what aspect of Japanese woodblock prints most influenced van Gogh's painting style?
A. The use of bright, metallic colors
B. The bold outlines and cropping of objects
C. The realistic depiction of light and shadow
D. The symmetrical arrangement of figures
✅ 정답
The bold outlines and cropping of objects
TOEFL Listening Tips
Skim the questions first to predict the content
Watch for signal words in lectures and conversations (however, actually, in fact)
For main idea questions, focus on the beginning; for detail questions, focus on examples and data
For attitude questions, pay attention to the speaker's tone and word choice
Take notes on keywords; don't try to write down every word