Art of the Hermitage Trivia Quiz

Answer: Raphael

Raphael, like many Renaissance Italian artists, has a few pieces of art displayed in the Hermitage. One of these is the "Madonna with Beardless Saint Joseph", completed in 1506. What is notable about this painting is that St. Joseph is depicted as an elderly man without a beard (instead of his usual dark hair and full beard) while Mary appears much younger and Jesus is a baby. Mary and Jesus are depicted similarly to how Raphael painted them in his Sistine Madonna in 1512.

Raphael's "Conestabile Madonna" can also be found in the Hermitage. It is a simple, unfinished painting depicting Mary holding Jesus while both read a book.

Answer: Knights' Hall

There are multiple versions of Antonio Canova's "Three Graces" statue. The original and most famous is found in the Knights' Hall of the Hermitage. The Knights' Hall displays primarily Greek-revival art from Western Europe as well as armor.

"Three Graces" depicts Zeus' daughters Euphrosyne, Aglaia and Thalia as they converse. The original sculpture was created for Josephine Bonaparte but she died before it was completed. It found its way to St. Petersburg after Josephine's grandson brought it there. The sculpture was very popular and wealthy Europeans commissioned their own statue from Canova and other artists.

Answer: The Stoning of St. Stephen

"The Stoning of St. Stephen" can be found in the Musee de Beaux Arts in Lyon, France and not in the Hermitage.

The Hermitage is home to many pieces of art produced by Rembrandt. Most of them are housed in wings and rooms dedicated to Dutch artists. The Hermitage is home to one of Rembrandt's "The Descent from the Cross" - the one produced in 1634 and the more famous one. It depicts the removal of Jesus' body after his death and crucifixion on the cross.

Another of Rembrandt's paintings in the Heritage is "Flora", a painting depicting Rembrandt's wife as the goddess Flora. She holds a floral staff and wears clothes adorned with flowers. "The Return of the Prodigal Son", depicting the biblical story of the same name, can also be found in the museum. It is believed to be one of Rembrandt's last paintings (if not his last).

Like many other works at the time, Rembrandt's art had to be secured during World War II during the Siege of Leningrad. The canvases had to be removed from frames, rolled up and secured in a place safe from bombs and attacks. Fortunately, the art remained relatively secure and survived the war unscathed.

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci

The Hermitage collection started when Catherine the Great purchased hundreds of paintings from a German merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky in 1764. The collection was actually created for Frederick the Great of Prussia but he refused to buy it. Because its intended purchaser was born in Berlin, many of the works in the collection were from German or Dutch artists.

The exact number of paintings purchased by Catherine the Great is unknown but it was at least 225. Rembrandt had the most paintings in the collection. Other artists represented were Reubens, Holbein and van Dyck. Because the collection was so massive, Catherine had a wing added to the Winter Palace that eventually became the Hermitage Museum. No work of art by da Vinci was known to be included in the original purchase though some attributed to him have since been added.

Answer: Danae

"Danae" is one of Rembrandt's most famous pieces. Completed in 1636, it depicts the character Danae who in Ancient Greek myth was the mother of Perseus lying nude on a bed. It was amongst the artworks collected by Catherine the Great in the Hermitage's original purchase.

In 1985, a Lithuanian man (who was later declared mentally insane) vandalized the painting by throwing sulfuric acid on it and slicing it with a knife at least twice. Danae's face completely destroyed and the rest of the painting was left spotty and damaged all over. It took nearly 12 years to restore the painting but the restoration was successful. Since then, "Danae" has been displayed behind bulletproof glass.

Answer: Arabian Hall

Today, the Hermitage extends to much of the Winter Palace. The palace itself is also a very popular tourist destination. Many of the rooms have been kept in the original decoration as they were when the czars and czarinas lived there.

One of the few rooms that does not maintain its original appearance is the Arabian Hall, which is sometimes used for exhibits and lectures. Although the decorations are largely the same, the furniture layout is not. The Arabian Hall had once been a dining room but the tables and chairs have since been removed to create a large open space. Other rooms such as the Malachite Rooms, the Gold Drawing Room and the Small Throne Room (among others) maintain not only the original décor but also the same furniture layout as well with the original pieces in many cases.

Answer: Arms

The "Tauride Venus" depicted the goddess Aphrodite coming out of her bath. The origins of the sculpture are not entirely clear. It is believed to be an ancient Roman work modeling the techniques from ancient Greece. It is called the "Tauride Venus" because it was once housed Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg until it was moved to the Hermitage.

The statue is missing her arms, although it is clear the arms once existed. In addition, her nose has been restored.

Answer: Basalt sarcophagi

The Hermitage is home to a large collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. The centerpiece of this collection are two large black basalt sarcophagi which were brought to Russia in the mid 19th century. The Egyptian Room of the museum was one of the first collections of the Hermitage and was part of the museum when it opened. The arrival of these artifacts sparked an interest in Egyptian history in Russia when previously there had not even been on expert in the subject within Russia.

St. Petersburg is also known for the Egyptian Sphinxes that line the quay at the Universiteskaya Embankment. However, these are not part of the Hermitage Museum but are perhaps the most famous Egyptian artifacts in Russia.

Answer: Rothschild

The reason for the lack of Faberge eggs within the Hermitage is because St. Petersburg is also home to the Faberge Museum which houses fifteen of the surviving eggs.

The Rothschild egg is a clock from which a diamond cockerel emerges from the top. The egg was given to the Rothschild Family in 1902. It was sold into a private collection in 2007 before it was gifted to Russia in 2014 in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Hermitage.

Answer: Cats

The Hermitage is home to dozens of cats who have their own set of caretakers. At one point, the cats were allowed to freely roam around the museum. Nowadays, the cats are primarily found along the embankment outside the museum or within the basement, which is considered their home. All the cats are spayed or neutered and each receives individual care, including personalized meals.

Many of the cats came from shelters and it is possible, though difficult, to adopt a cat from the museum.