The Masters and Their Works II Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The master of masters, Raphael, created from 1508 to 1511 the massive historical painting that we have come to know as 'The School of _____'. Which illustrious ancient city fits the title?

Answer: Athens

Among the many great figures of ancient Greece depicted within the 'School' are Plato and Aristotle, trodding down the center of the hall discussing something wonderful, to be sure. The painting is not limited to the heroes of ancient Greece, however; one may surely espy a number of anachronisms within this fantastic work.

For example, Zoroaster and Averroes, two scholars of medieval Middle East fame, are depicted amongst the Greek geniuses. It must also be noted that the Greeks depicted certainly did not all live during the same time period! One final interesting note...several of the Greek scholars are in fact based on real life contemporaries of Raphael, with Michelangelo as Heraclitus, Leonardo as Plato and Bramante as Euclid. (Raphael himself also appears in the picture.)

2. One of my favorites from the 17th century Dutch master Rembrandt is his 'The Raising of _______', which he painted rather early in his career (c. 1630). Whose name is required to complete the title of this popular subject in art history?

Answer: Lazarus

Indeed, the topic of Christ's resurrection of Lazarus has been a popular one, but no work, in my opinion, surpasses that of Rembrandt's depiction. It so moved van Gogh that he created his own version of the scene in his personal, expressionist fashion. To see this early Rembrandt masterpiece, you must go to the Los Angeles County Museum...I recommend a visit.

3. Grant Wood, one of the most celebrated early 20th century American painters, is widely recognized for his most significant work, known as 'American ______'. What word completes the title of his renowned 1930 piece?

Answer: Gothic

'American Gothic' is one of the most widely recognized art pieces in the world. Not only did it win a prize from the Art Institute of Chicago for Mr. Wood in 1930, it also won him and his Regionalist contemporaries some well-deserved recognition from the art community. To fully understand Wood's work, one must have a keen eye for satirical humor.

For example, though the painting 'American Gothic' appears to depict modest, small-town America in its most puritan sense, it is important to note that the white house in the background once served as a brothel!

4. There are so many wonderfully delicate works by 19th century French painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres that it is difficult to choose just one. For the sake of this quiz I have done so, selecting 'The Bather of _______', one of his most superb nudes, painted in 1808. Fill in the blank by selecting where the bather is from.

Answer: Valpin�on

Ingres was a conservative painter and follower of French master David. His most famous paintings revolve around bathing nudes and Turkish baths. 'The Valpin�on Bather' (as it is sometimes called) is one of his most subtle works, with the subject turning away from the painter, modestly clenching a sheet to cover her most delicate parts. Only a gentle trickle of water from a brass, lion-headed spout, affixed to the wall, breaks the serene silence of the moment.

5. No series of art quizzes would be complete without mention of a painting from Hieronymous Bosch. And naturally, I would select my favorite by the 15th-16th century Dutch master, namely 'The Garden of ____________'. Please complete the title of this masterwork with the correct two words.

Answer: Earthly Delights

For more information on this pre-Surrealist Surrealist, I must refer you to the following URL, which happens to be a quiz on Mr. Bosch from yours truly!

http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?id=103715

6. It seems we'll be going heavy on the Dutch today, though we won't call it Dutch treat (I'm buying.) One of Vermeer's most lovely paintings, a tiny portrait of a servant woman painted c. 1660, is called 'The ______ Maid'. What sort of maid was this gentle lady?

Answer: Kitchen

I'm sure you must be familiar with this image -- a Dutch maid, draped in yellow and blue garb, carefully pouring milk from a red pitcher into a clay bowl, daylight streaming in from the window above. This painting shows clearly Vermeer's fascination with the concept of light.

It is no wonder that the Delft master experimented with the camera obscura, and was, later in life, a good friend to the famed microscopist Antony van Leeuwenhoek (who became the executor of Vermeer's will.)

7. Oskar Kokoschka, one of the key members of the German Expressionist movement, painted a number of moving works. None more moving, however, than his self-portrait entitled 'Portrait of a(n) ________ Artist'. What unexpected word fits the title of this 1937 Kokoschka work?

Answer: Degenerate

'Portrait of a Degenerate Artist' was Kokoschka's answer to the mid-1930s movement by the Nazi party to attack what was considered to be a degeneration within the art world. Hitler's people wanted to see a return to classical art forms, and went on a direct attack against the various movements within the modern art world during the 20th century. Kokoschka and his contemporaries saw their artwork displayed together by the Nazis, who hoped that the public would reject the eroding nature of the modern art world.

The Nazi efforts had the opposite effect however...catapulting the German Expressionists to greater worldwide fame.

8. How might we complete the title of Richard Hamilton's pop art collage, created in 1956, that goes, 'Just What is it That Makes Today's Homes So Different, ________?'

Answer: So Appealing

Considered by many to be the first work of the Pop Art movement (notice the word 'POP' on the giant lollipop the bodybuilder grasps), this 1956 collage is rather sardonic in its make-up. Some find Hamilton's early works to be quite over-the-top, but I view them as clever social commentary.

9. Renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna painted several magnificent versions of the suffering 'Saint ______', most importantly one early in his career (1459) and two much later (1480, 1490). Which Catholic saint was the topic of Mantegna's apparent fascination?

Answer: Sebastian

Mantegna was a partisan of Saint Sebastian (a chapel was dedicated to the Saint in nearby Mantua), who had the misfortune of being skewered by Roman arrows, which he survived, only to be done in at the arena (the story of his style of death is probably apocryphal.) Mantegna's 1459 version is rather classicist in style, while the 1480 version is surprisingly expressionist.

The 1490 version is almost otherworldly, reminding one of a William Blake painting. This man had range!

10. Probably the most well-known work from Thomas Gainsborough, 18th century English portrait and landscape painter, was his 1770 work 'The ___ Boy'. What color was this young chap, as depicted by Gainsborough?

Answer: Blue

Well, he wasn't exactly blue in the face...but his clothing had something of an azure tint, to be sure. The stature of the boy reminds one of a painting done in classical Renaissance style, rather different from the 18th century norm in Britain. To see it for yourself, why not venture to the Henry E. Huntington Art Gallery in San Marino, CA, where the painting now hangs. Well, that wraps up this further installment of 'name that painting'. I look forward to your feedback, please let me know if you thirst for more. (And, to slake your unquenchable thirst for art quizzes in the meantime, please have a look at some of my other quizzes under the art sub-category.)

Source: Author thejazzkickazz

This quiz was reviewed by our editing team before going online.
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Much like the first installment, simply identify the artwork with the artist, and fill in the missing word(s) from the title. Again, only the masterworks are included here, so it should be no trouble for the art lovers among us.

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