1. How did photography develop into a technically viable art form? Who were the leading photographers of the age, and for what are they best known? What concerns and principles did photographers and Realist artists share?
2. In what artistic culture did Realist painting emerge in France? What role did the Salon play in that culture? Who were the leading French Realists? What were their political sympathies, and how did those affect their styles and careers?
3. What were the basic artistic aims of Impressionism? To what extent were these aims a logical extension of Realism? In what ways did Impressionism break with the Renaissance tradition? How did Manets approach to painting represent a bridge between Realism and Impressionism?
4. Who were the leading Impressionists? What are the defining characteristics of their styles, and how do those exemplify and/or depart from Impressionist aesthetics?
5. How did architecture develop during this period? What new industrial process transformed the possibilities of architectural design? Who were the leading architects? For what buildings are they best known, and why are those memorable?
6. What musical debate began to unfold during the mid nineteenth century? What were the terms of the debate, and what did Liszt contribute to it.  For what other musical innovations is Liszt known?
7. How did the Italian and German operatic traditions differ? Who were the leading exemplars of each tradition? For what works are they best known, and what notable stylistic features do these display?
8. How did Brahms come to lead the reaction against the Neudeutche Schule? What did he react against? For what compositions is be best known, and how do those represent his style?
9. How did Mahler and Strauss carry forward the experimentalism of Liszt and Wagner?
10. How did Dvoák and Sibelius express nationalist feeling through their music?  Who were the Mighty Handful, and how did they strive to create a distinctly Russian music?
11. What did Tchaikovsky contribute to the development of ballet? How did Debussy fashion an Impressionist music, and how did his techniques forge a link between Late Romantic and Modern composition?
12. How did nationalism influence the arts of the later nineteenth century? What range of nationalist sentiments were expressed? Who were the most extreme nationalists? What ideas did they espouse, and what influence did these exert on later periods?