Dinner is Framed Quiz / Test | Art

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A well known 16th century painting by Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder shows the scene at a wedding feast. Which group of people is Bruegel famous for depicting in his works, including the one of the wedding feast?

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.

2. Another famous painting depicting a Thanksgiving dinner was created by American artist Norman Rockwell as part of a series of four oil paintings titled "Four Freedoms". Which American president's speech inspired this series?

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.

3. In sharp contrast to the joyous dinner setting of Norman Rockwell's "Freedom from Want", which Cubist painter's 'Blue Period' includes subdued meal depictions in "The Blindman's Meal" and "The Frugal Repast"?

Answer: Pablo Picasso

"The Blindman's Meal" shows a lone visually-impaired man having a meager meal consisting of bread and water, while "The Frugal Repast" depicts a couple having a similarly sparse meal. Both paintings form part of Picasso's 'Blue Period' that ranged from 1901 to 1904 and consisted of largely monochromatic paintings with blue and green hues.

4. Which French Impressionist painter, known for depicting his friends in his works, set two of his paintings, "Luncheon of the Boating Party" and "The Rowers' Lunch", at the Parisian restaurant Maison Fournaise?

Answer: Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the founding figures of the Impressionist movement that developed in the 19th century, and six of his paintings were featured in the first Impressionist exhibition held in 1874. His famous works include "Girls at the Piano", "Diana the Huntress", "On the Terrace" and "The Swing".

Renoir was a regular at the Maison Fournaise and apart from the two paintings mentioned in the question, he also created portraits of members of the Fournaise family. "Luncheon of the Boating Party" also features his future wife Aline Charigot.

5. In one of the smaller paintings created by Dutch artist Jan Steen, what seafood is a young girl seen offering?

Answer: Oysters

Jan Steen was mainly known for his paintings depicting scenes from daily life, most of them probably inspired by his observations as a tavern keeper. While the main subject of this painting is a young girl who is seen sprinkling salt on the oysters, the painting also contains a still life of the oysters in the foreground.

6. The Italian artist Caravaggio created a painting titled "Supper at Emmaus" based on the New Testament account of Jesus meeting two of his disciples after his resurrection. Is it true that he created two versions of the same painting?

Answer: Yes

The first one was produced in 1601 and is now seen in the National Gallery in London. A later version of the same scene created in 1606 is housed in the Pinacoteca di Brera, an art gallery in Milan. Both paintings are inspired by the New Testament account of Jesus meeting two of his disciples on the way to Emmaus.

The disciples fail to recognise Jesus until they begin to have supper together and Jesus breaks bread in a manner reminiscent of the Last Supper. The painting captures the amazement of the disciples when they finally understand the true identity of the stranger in their midst.

7. Any quiz on paintings depicting dinner would be incomplete without a mention of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrayal of "The Last Supper". Which Italian city would you have to travel to if you wanted to take a look at this mural?

Answer: Milan

This mural was produced by da Vinci for his patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza, and is the most famous depiction of Jesus' last supper as described in the New Testament. The mural was painted on the wall of the dining hall at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.

It illustrates the moment when Jesus reveals to his disciples that he will be betrayed by one among them. The painting has also been the source of intense speculation with various people claiming to find messages hidden by da Vinci within the painting.

8. Which Italian Baroque painter, more famous for such religious works as "Assumption of the Virgin" and "Flight into Egypt", created "The Beaneater", a daily life scene of a peasant having his lunch?

Answer: Annibale Carracci

Annibale Carracci initially created frescoes along with his brother Agostino and cousin Ludovico. He then moved on to producing altarpieces, famous among them being the "Baptism of Christ" for the church of San Gregorio in Bologna and the "Assumption" for the church of San Rocco in Reggio Emilia. He also continued to collaborate with his brother and cousin while painting frescoes in Bologna.

"The Beaneater" and "The Butcher's Shop" feature a more contemporary style and are a departure from the religious works commonly associated with Carracci.

9. Continuing with the food theme, what kind of setting forms the basis for James Tissot's painting titled "Holyday"?

Answer: Picnic

James Tissot was born as Jacques-Joseph Tissot in 1836 in Nantes, France. During his career he dabbled in various genres, including contemporary scene paintings, caricatures and even japonisme. Towards the latter part of his life, he underwent a religious transformation that led him to create numerous Biblical artworks.

"Holyday", sometimes also referred to as "The Picnic", is set in Tissot's garden in St John's Wood, a suburb in northern London. It features a trio of young people enjoying a picnic besides a pond while in the company of a chaperon.

10. Spanish painter Diego Velazquez's works "Old Woman Frying Eggs" and "The Lunch" are considered as examples of Bodegon art. What is the meaning of the Spanish word 'bodega' from which this term is derived?

Answer: Pantry

The word 'bodega' could be used to describe a pantry or tavern and the art term 'bodegon' is used to illustrate a still life consisting of elements usually found in these places.

Diego Velazquez was one of the key painters in the court of the Spanish king, Phillip IV. He is most famous for the 1656 painting "Las Meninas" (The Maids of Honour) that captures the five year old princess, who grew up to be the Holy Roman Empress Margaret Theresa of Spain, surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting, two dwarfs and her chaperon.

Source: Author zorba_scank

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Dinner is Framed Trivia Quiz

Food has played its part in inspiring artists over the years and paintings depicting food have now inspired me to write this quiz.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>