The Art of Dying Quiz / Test | Art

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A Spanish painting showing a group of Madrile�os being shot by a group of military men in 1808?

Answer: Francisco Goya

"The Third of May, 1808" is the second of two paintings inspired by the uprising of Spanish people against the Napoleonic take-over. It is a follow up piece to "The Second of May 1808", also called "The Charge of the Mamelukes". Goya was the Spanish court painter at the time, and was particularly affected by the occupation of Spain by Napoleon's troops, although the paintings were not done until 1814.
NB. Madrile�os, inhabitants of Madrid.

2. A drowned Shakespearean heroine, seen floating past rushes in a river in this 1852 work.

Answer: Sir John Everett Millais

The tragic Ophelia is brought to life (or death rather) in this painting by Millais. She was the beautiful princess rejected by Hamlet ("get thee to a nunnery") after he had accidentally killed her father Polonius (stabbed in the arras), in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Millais' is one of many depictions of Ophelia's sad fate.

3. A Greek philosopher talking with his pupils while he calmly takes his fatal draft of hemlock in this French painting.

Answer: Jacques-Louis David

"The Death of Socrates" by the French artist David. According to Plato's story Socrates was condemned to death for corrupting Athenian youth, and took the opportunity to use his own death as a final lesson for his students. Plato himself is supposed to be one of those pupils.

4. A snow-covered village, where 16th Century Flemish peasants are massacred by Spanish soldiers.

Answer: Peter Bruegel father and son

The "Massacre of the Innocents" is transferred from ancient Palestine to medieval Flanders by Peter Bruegel the elder assisted by his son Peter Bruegel the younger.
The Bruegels painted half a dozen versions of the scene, in most of which the babies being killed have been painted over by images of food and small animals. The historic background of the event is the occupation of the Low Countries by Spain's Philip II in 1556. The paintings were done around 1566.

5. The head of St Paul bounces away from his decapitated body in a 19C Spanish painting.

Answer: Enrique Simonet

"The Beheading of Saint Paul" painted in 1887 is in M�laga Cathedral.
There is a legend about the martyrdom of St Paul in Rome, which says that when his head was cut off it bounced three times, and in each place a fountain sprang up.
This 19th century painting illustrates this story, where the head of St Paul seems to be enveloped in a holy light.
Enrique Simonet Lombardo (February 2, 1866 - April 20, 1927) was a Spanish painter.

6. A French revolutionary slumped over the edge of his bath, holding a paper in his dead hand, in this 1793 painting.

Answer: Jacques-Louis David

"The Death of Marat" is by Jacques-Louis David who was a popular artist in France at this period.
Jean Paul Marat was a leader in the French Revolution, and because of a skin disease he spent a lot of time in a bath tub, but was still active receiving and sending letters to fellow revolutionaries. Charlotte Corday was a follower of a rival revolutionary group but was somehow allowed to visit Marat, where she fatally stabbed him in the chest.

7. A drunken Babylonian general lies asleep while a Jewish widow is about to behead him with his own sword.

Answer: Jan-de-Bray

Scenes from Classical times were popular with Renaissance painters, and there are many depictions of the apocryphal story of the Jewish widow Judith who killed Holofernes the commander of the Babylonian army besieging the town of Bethunia. Masters such as Benvenuto and Caravaggio covered the story, but this version of "Judith and Holofernes" by the Dutch artist Jan-de-Bray shows the most action.

8. A famous Dutch artist produced, in a style not usually associated with him, a painting of 1885 that shows a skull smoking a cigarette.

Answer: Vincent Van Gogh

"Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette" is an early van Gogh work. It is supposed that he was mocking the procedure in drawing classes where a skeleton was used to help with anatomical drawing. Another viewpoint is that van Gogh had been feeling depressed about his appearance, and that this was a self-mocking self-portrait. On the same theme, M.C. Escher produced a drawing in 1917 that he called "Skull with Cigarette", although his skull was wearing a top hat while van Gogh's was uncovered.

9. Created for a Spanish king by a Flemish painter, the scene shows a terrified Icarus accompanied by his helpless father Daedalus, falling into a Greek sea,

Answer: Jacob Peter Gowy

The Antwerp master Rubens was given a commission in the 1630's from king Philip IV of Spain to paint a number of mythical scenes to decorate his hunting lodge near Madrid. After sketching his ideas, Rubens gave the job of actually producing the painting to a collaborator Jacob Peter Gowy. Gowy (or Gouwy) is known these days as a painter of portraits, including one of the earliest depictions of a horse - the Marquess of Worcester's dappled grey stallion.
This work is now in the Prado, Madrid.

10. A crucifixion scene from an unusual overhead viewpoint, created by a modern artist.

Answer: Salvador Dali

The picture is titled "Christ of Saint John of the Cross", being inspired by a drawing by a 16th century friar called John of the Cross. In order to achieve realism Dali had a Hollywood stuntman Russell Saunders hang from a crane!
The cross is hovering over a body of water, based on the bay by Dali's home of Port Lligat.
The painting was done in 1951, and was bought by Glasgow Corporation in 1952, where it can now be seen at Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

Source: Author davejacobs

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The Art of Dying Trivia Quiz

The depiction of someone dying, or being killed, or recently dead, is a popular theme of artists. Can you pick the authors of the following death scenes?

Questions		Choices
1. A Spanish painting showing a group of Madrile�os being shot by a group of military men in 1808?		Vincent Van Gogh
2. A drowned Shakespearean heroine, seen floating past rushes in a river in this 1852 work.		Jan-de-Bray
3. A Greek philosopher talking with his pupils while he calmly takes his fatal draft of hemlock in this French painting.		Sir John Everett Millais
4. A snow-covered village, where 16th Century Flemish peasants are massacred by Spanish soldiers.		Enrique Simonet
5. The head of St Paul bounces away from his decapitated body in a 19C Spanish painting.		Jacques-Louis David
6. A French revolutionary slumped over the edge of his bath, holding a paper in his dead hand, in this 1793 painting.		Jacob Peter Gowy
7. A drunken Babylonian general lies asleep while a Jewish widow is about to behead him with his own sword.		Salvador Dali
8. A famous Dutch artist produced, in a style not usually associated with him, a painting of 1885 that shows a skull smoking a cigarette.		Jacques-Louis David
9. Created for a Spanish king by a Flemish painter, the scene shows a terrified Icarus accompanied by his helpless father Daedalus, falling into a Greek sea,		Peter Bruegel father and son
10. A crucifixion scene from an unusual overhead viewpoint, created by a modern artist.		Francisco Goya