Art in Time Trivia Quiz

Botticelli did not generally date his paintings; however, 'The Birth of Venus' is believed to be from the mid-1480s. Renaissance art covers a period of roughly 200 years and developed in parallel with developments in philosophy, literature, music and science. Techniques included the use of proportion, foreshortening, sfumato and chiaroscuro. Paintings tended to show the calm serenity before a dramatic moment rather than the action itself.

The Baroque movement followed the Renaissance and Mannerism periods but preceded Rococo and Neoclassical styles. Encouraged by the Catholic Church as a counter to the austerity of Protestant art, the style used contrast, deep colour, exuberant detail and grandeur to achieve its effect. Unlike Renaissance art, Baroque paintings tended to capture a moment at its most dramatic. Rembrandt van Rijn's 'The Night Watch' was completed in 1642 and is one of the most famous of the Dutch Golden Age paintings. That did not prevent it being trimmed on all four sides (a not uncommon practice at the time) when it was moved to Amsterdam Town Hall in 1715.

Neoclassism arose in the 18th century as a reaction to the excesses of the Baroque period. The emphasis was on geometric forms and simplicity, reason and logic, a focus on clarity over colour, and with classical subjects and themes of heroism, patriotism and civic virtue. 'The Oath of the Horatii' painted in 1784 is a prime example of this style with its stark, balanced layout and its moral message of sacrifice.

It became a symbol of the French Revolution with its ideals of republicanism and civic virtue.

Beginning in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, the Romantic movement's emphasis was on emotion, imagination, individualism and a love of nature. Folklore, nationalism and looking back on the past were often topics. 'The Death of Sardanapalus' (1827) fits with this theme, depicting the final moments of the Assyrian king who, facing defeat, orders the deaths of his wives and horses.

It was inspired by Lord Byron's 1821 play 'Sardanapalus'. It was a polarising work described by Dorothy Bussy in her book "Eugène Delacroix" (1912) as 'a wild and incoherent daub'.

The Realism style rejects romanticised ideals and seeks to depict the world as it is. The emphasis is on detachment, objectivity and accurate observation of ordinary people in everyday settings or events. In 'Bonjour, Monsieur Courbet' (1854) the artist depicts himself walking towards a couple. Courbet was a pioneer of the movement, with this painting displaying the hallmarks of Realism.

Impressionism emerged in 19th century France with a focus on capturing fleeting moments and subjective impressions of light and colour rather than on accurate representation. The 'Haystacks' series of paintings by Claude Monet are typical of the genre.

This can be seen in particular in 'Haystacks at Giverny, End of Summer' (1891) with its open composition, the seemingly random placement of the haystacks, and the visible and energetic brushstrokes.

Flourishing in the early 20th century, Art Nouveau is characterised by long, sinuous, organic lines. Like many of these movements, some of the best examples of the style are seen in disciplines such as architecture, interior design, jewellery and glass design. 'Divan Japonais' (1893) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was a poster design with stylised shapes and flat areas of colour typical of the genre.

It immortalised the Parisienne cabaret of the same name, a frequent haunt of the artists and writers of the time.

Painted in 1905, 'Woman in a Hat' was a seminal piece of Fauvist art. Henri Matisse painted his wife Amélie with the style marking a move to a more expressive form from the Divisionist brushstrokes of his earlier work. Fauvism came to be known for the use of colour in arbitrary ways (for instance, a purple face, a green sky or orange tree). Colours might be applied unmixed, straight from the tube, leading to jarring, intense contrasts.

In this early-20th century movement, Cubist artists constructed objects from geometric shapes. Traditional representations of perspective might be replaced by multiple viewpoints creating a fragmented view. Whilst showcased by painters and sculptors, it also spurred innovations in other areas of art, architecture and literature. Painted by Pablo Picasso in 1910, 'Girl with a Mandolin' is an early example of Analytic Cubism.

The model is depicted as a series of overlapping planes and shapes with the mandolin easily identifiable by its oval shape and curved lines.

Arising during the 1920s, surrealism could incorporate dreamlike imagery, symbolism and subversion of logic, and political or social commentary, often laced with a layer of humour or absurdity. René Magritte painted 'The Treachery of Images' during 1928-29.

His image of a realistic-looking pipe is captioned with 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' (meaning: This is not a pipe) which reminds the viewer that there is a difference between reality and the image.