The Pride of the Prado Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hieronymus Bosch

A triptych is an artwork comprised of three panels held together with hinges. Bosch's triptychs were oil paintings on large wooden panels: in the case of "The Garden of Earthly Delights", more than two metres wide and almost four metres high.

Bosch's colourful pieces show highly evocative moral messages. In addition to the triptychs, the Prado collection includes a tabletop painted by Bosch divided into segments portraying each of the seven deadly sins.

Answer: Francisco Goya

Goya was court painter under Spanish King Charles (Carlos) IV. Later in life, deaf, isolated and fearing insanity, he created a series of dark, haunting works collectively known as the "Black Paintings".

Goya painted "Saturn Devouring His Son" directly onto the walls of his house; it was later transferred to canvas.

Answer: Napoleon

Each painting measures almost 2.7 metres high and 3.5 metres wide. They were painted over a period of two months in 1814, and represent recent historical events. The first shows a frenzied battle scene in Madrid's central square as the French Imperial Guard fought off a popular uprising.

In sharp contrast, "The Third of May 1808" is a sombre scene, depicting the pre-dawn execution by firing squad of the rebels, who include labourers and a monk.

Answer: The Virgin Mary, fainting

Van der Weyden arranged the bodies of Jesus and his mother in parallel, linking the Passion of Christ to the sorrow of the Virgin. While not mentioned in the canonical gospels, the "swoon of the virgin" was a popular religious image in 14th and 15th century Europe but has since been discouraged on biblical and theological grounds.

Answer: Philip IV

Velázquez painted a number of portraits of Philip IV and his children as well as serving as the curator of the art-loving king's personal collection. "Las Meninas" represents the pinnacle of Velázquez's career and has been called one of the most important paintings in Western art, drawing the viewer into the scene--or projecting the painter and subjects into the real world.

Answer: The Three Graces

The Graces (or "Charites") are goddesses who represent the enjoyment of life. They are most commonly named Aglaea (representing radiance), Euphrosyne (joy) and Thalia (flowering or good cheer). They were popular subjects of painting and sculpture, and their images can even be found among the ruins of Pompeii.

Answer: José de Ribera

José (also known as Jusepe) de Ribera spent most of his life in Italy. His nickname means "the little Spaniard". De Ribera is known for his use of the painting style called tenebrism--dramatic contrasting of light and dark elements in a picture.

Answer: A lamb

The lamb is a well-known symbol of a sacrificial victim, and in Christianity is commonly used as a metaphor for Christ. Zurbarán's painting shows a young ram with its legs bound together, not struggling but resting meekly on the surface of a table.

Answer: Mona Lisa

The copy is believed to have been painted by one of Leonardo da Vinci's students, possibly at the same time and place as the master created the original. After undergoing restoration work the Prado piece, which is thought to be the oldest "Mona Lisa" copy in existence, shows fine details that are no longer visible on the much-viewed original.

Answer: Isabella II

The wet drapery technique gives sculptures of clothing and drapery a flowing appearance. In the case of "Isabella II Veiled", the marble representing the veil seems to have an almost tissue-like quality, showing the texture of the queen's face, crown and jewellery beneath the surface.

"Isabella II Veiled" was made in 1855, midway through the queen's reign.