Painted History Trivia Quiz

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."

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.

Answer: The Third of May 1808

This painting is known by several names, including 'The Execution of the Defenders of Madrid'. It has a predecessor painting entitled 'The Second of May 1808.' During the time when the French occupied Spain, Goya remained as the court painter to Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's older brother and temporary king of Spain and Naples.

The battle on the Third of May was a dark moment in Spanish history, but many art theorists believe Goya's depiction of the battle was done as an apology to Spain and a means of conveying the heroism of Spanish solders battling the Napoleon, the 'tyrant'.

Answer: Theodore Gericault

The aftermath of the ship's sinking was captivating to the French public and was considered incredibly embarrassing for the nation. Similar to the Titanic, the ship did not have enough lifeboats to hold all of its passengers or crew, and 146 people were cast off onto a makeshift raft where they had to survive for 13 days. Gericault's painting is said to be depicting that final day as the few remaining survivors attempt to flag down a passing ship.

By the time they were rescued, only 15 people on the raft were alive.

Answer: Sweden

While known to many as King Charles XII, the painting is titled as "Bringing Home the Body of King Karl XII of Sweden". The artist staged the image with professional models prior to painting to ensure it conveyed the likely intimacy and sadness of the moment.

The original painting was a part of an exhibition in Paris, at which time it was sold to a member of Russian nobility. The Swedish population was outraged; they raised funds to request Cederström to paint another depiction, which now hangs in Sweden's Nationalmuseum.

Answer: Eugene Delacroix

The woman depicted in the painting, Liberty, is known more informally in France as Marianne. The symbol of Liberty in this painting is considered a symbol of France, much like the Statute of Liberty is a symbol of America. The July Revolution took place in 1830 during the French Revolution. Liberty was even wearing the iconic Phrygian cap, a symbol in Europe of freedom and the pursuit of liberty.

Answer: Lady Jane Grey

Before and after the death of Henry VIII, Lady Jane Grey's father, the Duke of Suffolk, was caring for Henry's son, Edward VI. However, once Henry died and Edward was ill with tuberculosis, the Duke convinced Edward that his sisters (Mary I and Elizabeth I) should not be given the throne after his death.

He chose to make the Duke's daughter, Lady Jane Grey, the queen instead. Lady Jane was queen for nine days, until Mary ousted her and Jane relinquished the crown. However, Mary chose to imprison Jane, her husband, and her father for treason and they were executed at the Tower of London a year later.

Answer: Jan Matejko

The painting "Stańczyk" depicts the jester slumped in a chair, deep in thought and visible strife after discovering that Russia had conquered Smolensk. The nobility around him seem unaffected by the situation and they continue to revel and bandy about without any cares. Stańczyk is considered a symbol in much of Matejko's art and Polish literature as a representation of Poland's struggles for independence and a pensive figure deep in thought, which was always contrary to his livelihood as a jester.

Answer: Caesar

Julius Caesar was betrayed by 60 of his senators, called 'the Liberators'. On the Ides of March (March 15th), they stabbed Caesar 23 times near the Theatre of Pompey. The senators killed Caesar for fear that he sought to usurp their power, to try and control Rome alone. Artists William Holmes Sullivan, Karl von Piloty, Bela Čikos Sesija, and Jean Léon Gérôme all also created paintings depicting Caeser's assassination.

Answer: George Washington

Emanuel Luetze and George Caleb Bingham have both offered depictions of Washington crossing the Delaware River, starting the surprise attack at the Battle of Trenton in the American Revolution. Luetze's first painting was destroyed during World War II, but his additional versions now hang in the White House and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Bingham's painting now hangs at Washington's Crossing National Historic Landmark in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.