Art By Subject Trivia

1. During which 1759 battle of the French and Indian War is the 1770 painting "The Death of General Wolfe" set?

From Quiz Scenes of Violent Battle

Answer: Battle of Quebec

The term "French and Indian War" is mostly used in the United States. It is usually called "The Seven Years' War" in Europe and much of Canada and Guerre de la Conquête ("War of the Conquest") in Quebec. James Wolfe (1727-1759) was a British officer noted for his service in King George's War/The War of the Austrian Succession and the French and Indian War. He was involved in the 1758 siege of the Fortress of Louisbourg, it was as second-in-command of the British forces. At the Battle of Quebec, also known as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, he was the British commander. Because of the cliffs near Quebec, it was thought to be a very difficult city to capture. After his death, Wolfe was known as the "Hero of Quebec" by the British since this battle was seen as key to British conquest of Canada from the French. Anglo-American Benjamin West (1738-1820) painted this oil on canvas painting which is found in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. West poses the young Wolfe (only 32 at his death) in a pose similar to that of Christ in many religious themed pictures. The picture shows West's interpretation in several aspects such as the lack of historic evidence that the other specific people in the picture were actually present at Wolfe's death.

From Quiz Such a Pieta

Answer: Pieta of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon

The author of this famous painting of the mid 15th century is Enguerrand Quarton (1410-1466). Two other famous works of this outstanding French artist are "Coronation of the Virgin" and "The Virgin of Mercy". His pietà is painted in oils on wood, originally for a monastery in Villeneuve-les-Avignon (the other side of the Rhone from Avignon itself) but now to be seen in the Louvre in Paris. The painting has several interesting points. The body of Christ across Mary's knees is arched sharply backwards, while the head is supported by St John. Mary herself is not holding the body, but has her hands together in prayer. On the left is the figure of the donor dressed in white clerical garb, also praying. The background is plain except for some buildings on the left which are sometimes thought to represent Jerusalem, although there is a theory that they are buildings in Istanbul which had recently been captured by the Ottomans.

From Quiz Not the Only "Last Supper"

Answer: Giotto de Bondone

Commonly known simply as Giotto, Giotto de Bondone, born near Florence around 1266, has been admired as the founder of modern art and the first of the great Italian masters. He was honoured by having a European space probe named after him - it visited Halley's comet. He, along with a team of assistants, created a cycle of frescoes in the Scovegni Chapel in Padua, now preserved as part of the Paduan civic museum complex. His "Last Supper" shows the disciples sitting round a rectangle table in a room decorated with a Greek frieze. Christ is seated at the left end - the head of the table - with John resting his head on Christ's lap. There is little sign of perspective in this early painting.

From Quiz "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"

Answer: A little dog

"Venus of Urbino" was painted by the famous Italian artist Titian, some time between 1532-1534. It portrays a young comfortably naked woman, thought to represent the goddess Venus, resting on a couch set in sumptuous surroundings. This work is often described as being erotic and sensual, but I can't see that myself. It seems, rather, to have more of a simple and almost innocent appeal. The model holds a small bunch of roses in one hand, while the other modestly covers her nether regions. Emphasising this lack of sensuality is the image of a little dog in the background. We are informed that dogs often represent faithfulness in works of art. Further in the background again, two maids can be seen sorting through a chest of clothes, seeking, no doubt, suitable apparel for our naked Venus on the couch. (Question and additional information by Creedy)

From Quiz The Eternal Flame

Answer: Frederic Remington

Frederic Remington's forte was the American Old West, and he produced a large body of work filled with images of American Indians, cowboys and the US Cavalry. Using a naturalistic style, he is viewed as the most successful proponent of western genre art during its "Golden Age" - the end of the nineteenth and start of the twentieth centuries. This, to the point that other prominent artists who came through this era, such as Charles Russell and Charles Schreyvogel, were dubbed "the school of Remington". "The Grass Fire" is an oil on canvas work that features an Indian war party, using the night as cover, setting fire to the grassland of another tribe. Their intent here is to either destroy that tribe's hunting ground or use the blaze as a means to attack their rival's camp. In the painting the night is pitch black. There are no stars or moon visible to provide illumination, only the crimson glow of the fire. This, then, serves to highlight the drama within the picture by putting an emphasis on the Indian's stealth. (Notes) Remington is the name of a prominent firearms manufacturer. An atlatl is a spear-throwing device, a trireme a warship and a gladius is a sword. This question was set alight by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

From Quiz Ah, the Thrill of the Hunt

Answer: Paolo Uccello

Paolo Uccello was an Italian painter from the town of Pratovecchio, Tuscany. He is perhaps best known for his pioneering use of perspective, being one of the earliest Renaissance practitioners. Giorgio Vasari, author of the 1550 work 'Lives of the Artists', describes how Uccello would stay up all night attempting to perfect the position of his vanishing points. In addition to 'The Hunt in the Forest', Uccello created many other works that have endured to the modern day. Perhaps his most famous work is his depiction of 'St. George Slaying the Dragon', housed in the National Gallery in London. He also painted a series of three works on 'The Battle of San Romano', fought between the forces of Florence and Siena in 1432. The three paintings are located in some of the most visited galleries in the world: one in the Louvre, one in the National Gallery and one in the Uffizi. 'The Hunt in the Forest' is one of the highlights of the Ashmolean Museum in the university city of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The museum has a huge diversity of exhibits, ranging from paintings by Renoir and Cezanne to statues of Egyptian gods created more than five millennia ago.

From Quiz Painted History

Answer: Jean-Paul Marat

Jean-Paul Marat was murdered by Charlotte Corday while in his bath tub. Charlotte had come under the ruse of having information to help him with his revolutionary cause. However, she instead stabbed him in his chest with a kitchen knife. The wound was so severe that he died within seconds, and Charlotte was executed thereafter by guillotine. The painting 'The Death of Marat' depicts Marat's limp body in the tub, with his right arm hanging to the floor, still holding a quill having died "writing for the good of the people."

From Quiz Fall into Autumn

Answer: Jackson Pollock

Pollock gave this painting the original title 'Number 30' after he started simply numbering his paintings in order to prevent the title from giving anyone a pre-conceived idea of what each picture represented. However, as 'Autumn Rhythm' (as it was later renamed) is a mass of black, brown and white paint with no clearly discernible focus or pattern, it seems unlikely that anyone viewing it would be able to connect it with the season of the year without a bit of help! Pollock used his "drip" technique between 1947 and 1950, although it involved more than just dripping paint on a canvas - 'Autumn Rhythm' has paint that was dripped, splattered, flicked, poured and dribbled on. Pretty much anything other than the traditional 'brushing' approach then... The incorrect options are all other American artists active in the 20th century.

From Quiz From the Ashes

Answer: Roanoke Colony

White's paintings have been hailed as "the most accurate visual record of the New World by an artist of his generation" (Michael G. Moran, "Encyclopedia Virginia" https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/White_John_d_1593). "Indians Round a Fire", is a watercolor depicting ten Indians in a circle around a smoking bonfire. Some are holding shaking gourds and pumpkin rattles. It is unclear if this is merely a conversation being indulged in, or the prelude to either prayer or a ceremony. This painting, like White's others from that period, were important in providing solid detail of the way of life and culture of the Secotan (North Carolina) Indians. Other works, as an example, showed a warrior daubed in paint, a couple on a mat enjoying a meal, and four men laboring over the construction of a canoe. His ability to capture their appearance, certain gestures, and their postures was uncanny. This was never more evident than when a parcel of his works were published as etchings by Theodor de Bry. De Bry's efforts would give the Indians a distinct European look. White, himself, has an interesting background. He was, at one point, the governor of the "Lost Colony" but not a very popular one. His daughter was Elinor White Dare, who gave birth to Virginia Dare, the first English child to be born in America. Due to his poor popularity, White agreed to be the one to sail back to England to campaign for the colony to be moved to a new location and return with some much-needed supplies. His return, however, was delayed by a little scuffle the English were having with the Spanish Armada and, by the time he did get back (1590), his daughter, grand-daughter, and the rest of the colony had disappeared. White would pass away three years later. This question was etched by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

From Quiz Paint the Tail on the Donkey

Answer: Paul Cezanne

Paul Cezanne was born in Aix-en-Provence in 1839 and much of his later Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work was painted in the surrounding area. The term 'dark period' is used to refer to the works Cezanne produced between 1861 and 1870, when he was mainly based in Paris. His paintings from this time are characterised by both the use of dark colours and the depiction of 'dark' violent scenes such as the robbery in 'The Robbers and the Donkey' and the self-explanatory paintings 'The Rape' and 'The Murder'. Nicolas Poussin was a 17th century French painter. Degas and Monet were also French Impressionist painters active in the late 19th century but neither had a recognised 'dark period'.

From Quiz Pictures at an Exhibition - Animals Abounding

Answer: Rembrandt Bugatti

The baboon in this exhibition is one of the most expensive statues by Rembrandt Bugatti. It was sold in 2006 for more than 2,5 million dollars. Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1914) produced dozens of statues of wild life: lions, panthers, elephants, antelopes, leopards, horses, dogs, pelicans... He used to sit for hours in the Antwerp zoo, observing one single animal species. Then he went to his workshop, made a first impression in clay, and used this model to create a bronze cast. Rembrandt was the younger brother of Ettore Bugatti, the designer of the eponymous French sports cars. One of Rembrandt's elephant figurines was used as the logo for Ettore's cars. Mario Maserati was brother to the five brothers founding the Maserati car manufacture: Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto. Rumour has it that Mario designed the logo for the car company (a trident). Alfredo Ferrari's brother Enzo founded the eponymous sports car manufacture in Maranello. Antonio Lamborghini was the father of Ferruccio, who founded the eponymous manufacture of agricultural vehicles and sports cars.

From Quiz Dinner is Framed

Answer: Peasants

Pieter Bruegel frequently produced scenes of peasants and their lives and work. Paintings with peasants as the main subject were rare in that period, earning Bruegel the nickname of "Peasant Bruegel". The painting in the question is titled "The Peasant Wedding" and can be seen in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

From Quiz The War of Art

Answer: Battle of Issus

This mosaic dates back to the age of the Romans, circa 100BC. The mosaic was discovered in Pompeii in 1841; just two years later it was relocated to Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples. In total the mosaic is comprised of about 1.5 million pieces.

From Quiz Eating a Masterpiece

Answer: Campbell's

The Campbell Soup Company sponsored the 'Art of Soup' contest in 1997. This was the 35th anniversary of the commencement of Andy Warhol's production of his Campbell's soup can paintings; it was also the 100th anniversary of the Campbell Soup Company.

From Quiz What Are YOU Looking At?

Answer: Mona Lisa

Lisa Gherardini, the woman in the portrait, became La Gioconda when she married Francesco del Giocondo. Harvard neurologist Margaret Livingstone has claimed that the flickering quality of her smile in the portrait stems from how attracted the viewer is to her eyes. As the viewer focuses on her eyes, her mouth shifts to their peripheral vision, and the peripheral vision is less focused on detail and more likely to blur the distinction between her mouth and her cheekbones.

From Quiz Cats in Art

Answer: Olympia

No, the woman in the painting is not Venus. However, the painting was probably inspired by Titian's painting of a nude woman called the "Venus of Urbino". The "Venus of Urbino" features a dog, though, not a cat. The painting also has some similarity to Giorgione's "Sleeping Venus". The real name of the model in this painting was Victorine Meurent. Victorine was an artist as well as a model.

From Quiz Pictures at an Exhibition: History in Art

Answer: Mucius Scaevola

Hans Baldung Grien (1485-1545) was a German painter and woodcarver. He made several historical or mythical paintings. Rome was founded (according to legend) on April 21st, 753 BC and had seven Kings before it was transformed into a Republic. The depicted scene took place when the people of Rome had deposed their last king. However, the last King of Rome had asked a neighbouring tribe for help, and this tribe besieged Rome. The Roman hero we're looking for entered the enemy camp and wanted to kill the enemy King. When he stabbed the wrong man, our hero deliberately burnt his right hand to impress the enemy. The painting shows the dramatic end of the story: the hero deliberately holding his right hand in the fire. Lucius Licinius Lucullus (117 BC - 56 BC) is not remembered for any heroic act, but as a gourmet: his banquets abounded with exquisite food and the best wine. However, Lucullus did win some important battles against Mithridates of Pontus and against Tigranes of Armenia. Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator (280 BC - 203 BC) was the cautious consul fighting Hannibal and his Punic troops. When Fabius' colleagues perished in reckless battles against Hannibal, Fabius avoided large battles and applied guerrilla tactics. Hannibal's supply lines were overstretched and so Fabius chased Hannibal out of Italy. Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus (210 BC - 115 BC) was a successful general during the Second Century BC. He subdued Macedon in 148 BC and the Greeks in 146 BC. The Roman hero we were looking for is Gaius Mucius Scaevola. This man is mentioned in Livy's history books, but modern historians doubt if Mucius was a real or a fictional character.

From Quiz Women Depicted in Art

Answer: Madame Gautreau

What was so provocative about the painting? Madame Gautreau was wearing a low-cut dress with one strap falling down off of her shoulder!

From Quiz Scenes of Violent Battle

Answer: Winter

The crossing of the Delaware River by George Washington and the Continental Army took place on the evening of December 25-26, 1776. The painting shows large chunks of ice in the river, which is confirmed by historical evidence. The painting also shows Washington standing in the front half of the boat, which some consider unlikely to have happened since it would have made rowing and balancing the boat more difficult. Other historians mention that Washington and others would have wanted to avoid sitting in the icy water that would likely have been in the bottom of the boats. Emanuel Leutze (1816-1868) created this oil on canvas painting that resides in New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. In Leutze's painting, he tries to represent a cross-section of the population of the United States, including men of African and Native American descent.

From Quiz Such a Pieta

Answer: Rogier van der Weyden

Rogier van der Weyden (1400-1464) was probably the most influential Flemish painter of his time. Also called "The Descent from the Cross", this painting of Christ's body being taken down from the cross includes a fainting Mary in a blue gown being supported by St John in red, among other figures. This particular painting was given as a gift by Mary (Queen of Austria and Hungary and daughter of Philip I of Spain), to Philip II of Spain, but on the sea journey from the Netherlands the ship sank! Fortunately the painting was so well packed that it was recovered almost undamaged, and completed its journey, where it is now on display in the Prado, Madrid.

From Quiz Not the Only "Last Supper"

Answer: Fra Angelico

The clue to the artist is the word "friar": Fra Angelico was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by the Italian painter and historian Vasari in his "Lives of the Artists" (1550) as having "a rare and perfect talent". Fra Angelico lived from about 1395 to 1455. This fresco shows the disciples seated on stools round a table, with Christ in the centre facing the viewer. This, when you come to think of it, is odd; you'd expect Him to be at the head of the table, not halfway along one side.

From Quiz "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"

Answer: The age of the model

Juergen Teller (born in 1964) is a German artist and photographer. He has had a long association with designers and houses of fashion throughout his career, and it is from those that he has drawn many of his models. One of these lovelies was British fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood, who was born in 1941. The artist has featured Vivienne completely nude, lying on a rather lovely tapestry couch, with her flaming red hair standing out in stark contrast to the almost translucent skin tones of her body. Vivienne was aged 72 when she posed for this work, and the artist's skill is such that he completely convinces the viewer of the beauty of the female form, no matter how many calendar years have been added to its frame. I'd quite willingly hang this beautiful work in my home - and would dearly love to own the tapestry couch as well. (Question and additional information by Creedy)

From Quiz The Eternal Flame

Answer: Elephants

Kuhnert was a painter of truly life-like animals from across the world, and was active from around the start of the 20th century. Apart from elephants, Kuhnert also depicted lions and antelope fleeing before fire. Beyond this, he painted animals stalking and killing prey, bears in Scotland and the platypus and kangaroo from Australia. His paintings became so popular that prints were used as trading cards by chocolate manufacturer Stollwerck. This question was fanned by Phoenix Rising member, VegemiteKid.

From Quiz Painted History

Answer: Anton von Werner

It was in the Mirror Room at the French palace of Versailles that Germany was proclaimed as an empire by Prussian King William I after German states were victorious in the Franco-Prussian War. This event took place on January 18, 1871 and von Werner had been present at the event, as artist to the crown prince. He ended up creating at least four different paintings of the event, which he customized based upon the customer or recipient. This included moving individuals around to be at a higher or lower place in the painting, color of uniforms and/or motif, or even removing key people from the scene.

From Quiz From the Ashes

Answer: Charles DeWolf Brownell

Charles DeWolf Brownell was educated as a lawyer, a profession he pursued for 10 years until ill health forced him to seek less stressful employment. Landscape painter Henry Bryant encouraged him to pursue painting, and he became a very accomplished landscape and nature artist. Although most noted for his landscape paintings, most notably of Cuba, Brownell also had a keen interest in American revolutionary themes. His painting of the "Burning of the Gaspee" some 100 years after the event is a prime example of this. The Gaspee was a British customs ship that Rhode Island colonists attacked and sank when it ran aground in shallow water in 1772. The ship was burned to the waterline and began a series of events that would eventually lead to the Battle of Lexington and Concord and the American Revolution. This question was created by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

From Quiz Dinner is Framed

Answer: Franklin Roosevelt

During Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address, he outlined four basic freedoms that every human being should enjoy, leading to the speech becoming popularly known as the "Four Freedoms Speech". Inspired by this speech, Norman Rockwell created a series of oil paintings. The painting depicting the Thanksgiving dinner is titled "Freedom from Want". The other three paintings are "Freedom of Speech", "Freedom of Worship" and "Freedom from Fear". The paintings were later also featured on postage stamps released by the United States Post Office.

From Quiz The War of Art

Answer: Medici

The set of paintings was originally commissioned by the Salimbeni family of Florence, but Lorenzo de' Medici liked the paintings so much that he bought them. The fruit which was known as the mala medica, or "medicinal apple", was a symbol of the Medici family. In the paintings, Uccello shows the development of linear perspective, which in the painting is not fully developed.

From Quiz Eating a Masterpiece

Answer: Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minnesota

Claes Oldenberg and his wife Coosje van Bruggen often collaborated on projects. This is one of the few that also features water as an element of the sculpture. The cold winters in Minneapolis allow the sculpture to be seen covered in ice and thus as a completely different sculpture than in summer.

From Quiz What Are YOU Looking At?

Answer: American Gothic

That woman was Nan Wood, the sister of artist Grant Wood, and her own tilted gaze itself arouses interest. Is she merely being modest, or disapproving somehow of the judgmental viewer? What exactly is the relationship between her and the man beside her (Grant Wood described her at various points as the man's wife and as his daughter)?

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