'D'elightful Art Terms Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dome

All of these individuals were responsible for the design and construction of very recognizable domes. Fuller is probably most well known for his 'geodesic dome', a hemispheric structure made up of triangular components. Brunelleschi designed the most well recognized dome of the renaissance, the one found on the cathedral in Florence. Probably the most well recognized dome of the modern era was created by Thomas U. Walter...it sits on the U.S. capital building. Finally, perhaps a slightly less well-known dome-like ceiling, designed by Grow, can be found on the Morman Tabernacle Building, under which the famous choir sings!

Answer: 13th Century

This is the Italian term for 'two hundred', and makes sense when we realize that the 13th century goes from 1201-1300! The term for the 14th century would be 'tricento', while the 15th century is known as the 'quattrocento'. Perhaps the greatest artists from the dugento were Cimabue and Duccio.

Answer: Donkey

The 'Donkey's Tail' exhibition was named for an art show in Paris in which several artists had displayed a picture which they claimed had been painted with a brush tied to a donkey's tail. Although most of the artists who participated in the exhibition in Moscow seemed to get the joke, the conservative establishment was not amused. Needless to say, the exhibition helped enhance the reputations of Goncharova and Larionov, as well as the other artists who exhibited there, including Malevich and Tatlin.

Answer: Seurat and Pointillism

While most of us probably refer to it as pointillism, the system within which the melding of colors is affected by the juxtaposition of thousands of dots of paint was more lovingly referred to as Divisionism by Georges Seurat.

Answer: Diptych

The earliest Diptychs date back to the Roman era, those being 'consular diptychs' (ivory carvings) which were passed out by individuals who attained an official position in the government. A three paneled version would be called a triptych, or polyptych if you prefer (also used for 4 or more).

Answer: Dada

There are many fun Dada artists, perhaps the most famous being Duchamp, Arp, Picabia and Schwitters. 'Dada' is a French term for hobby horse...a silly name for an outrageous art movement!

Answer: Hitler

During the 1930s the Nazis attempted to discredit the various modern art movements, such as Expressionism, by labeling the practicioners as degenerates. In 1937 a travelling show of 'degenerate' art was held, within which the art of greats like Kandinsky, Beckmann and Picasso were displayed alongside artwork created by inmates from asylums.

The 'degenerate' artists were not allowed, during the Nazi era, to exhibit their own works, and in many cases their works were confiscated and destroyed. One of Oscar Kokoschka's most famous works, 'Portrait of a Degenerate Artist', mocks the Nazis nicely I think.

Answer: Distemper

Whitewash is an example of this very cheap form of paint that is most often used for large scale works like Murals. Its drawback is that it is impermanent.

Answer: Décollage

Essentially, Décollage is the opposite of Collage, an artform in which various pieces of material are added to the canvas. Décollage sounds more fun to me...

Answer: Daguerre

Daguerre, together with Joseph Niépce, produced what are widely considered to be the first photographs, called 'Daguerreotypes'. I hope there weren't too many toughies here...and that you 'E'lect to take my 'E' art terms quiz...coming soon (not to mention my 'D'aring Asian 'D' art terms quiz!)