YOUR Night At the Museum Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Laughing Cavalier

Currently housed in the Wallace Collection in London, England, "The Laughing Cavalier" was painted by the Dutch artist, Frans Hals.

The subject of the painting is unknown. Suspected to be a young Dutch man, the only information given about the subject was that he was 26 years old when he was painted.

It should also be noted that "The Laughing Cavalier" was not always famous, nor was it originally called "The Laughing Cavalier." It was only in 1865, when the painting was bought by the art collector, Richard Seymour-Conway, that the work was given its present name. The original name of this painting was simply, "Portrait of a Man" (or "Portrait of a Young Man"). The portrait is noted for the speed at which it appears to have been painted (judging by its quick brush strokes). It was this quality which led to the painting's fame, as many Victorian artists aimed to achieve this spontaneous style.

Answer: Olga Khokhlova

Over the years, Picasso painted several portraits of his first wife, Olga. In these paintings, Olga is noted for her sad face and thoughtful expressions.

Olga and Picasso married in 1918, and lived a relatively happy marriage until the birth of their son, Paulo, in 1921. At this time, Olga learned about an affair between her husband and the then-17-year-old, Marie-Therese Walter. Olga took their son and left Picasso after this. However, they remained legally married until Olga's death in 1955.

Answer: Edvard Munch

Yes, the painting which has spontaneously come to life here is "The Scream." Munch created several versions of the picture, two of which are held in the Munch Museum, and another in the National Gallery of Norway.

"The Scream" is often said to represent human anxiety in general; however, many believe the painting to be a portrayal of Munch's own anxiety, caused by his agoraphobia. Munch's condition worsened over the next few years, eventually resulting in him seeking hospital treatment in 1908.

As well as the horror on the face of the subject, the bold colours used (e.g. dark blues and fiery reds and oranges) are what make this work so expressive.

Answer: The Girl With the Pearl Earring

Once again, the subject of this 17th-century painting is not known for certain. Many have speculated that it was a woman by the name of Magdalena van Ruijven, whereas others say it was Vermeer's daughter, Maria (who would have been around 12 at the time).

Both the 1999 novel and 2003 film (released in 2004 in the UK) portray the subject as a maid that Vermeer had hired, called Griet. This brought about some criticism from those who had studied Vermeer, due to its lack of historical evidence. However, the main source of criticism was the way the Vermeer family was portrayed in the film. The Curator of Northern Baroque Art at the National Gallery in Washington, Arthur Wheelock, took issue with the impression given that Vermeer's wife was an unpleasant character, and that she and Vermeer had an unhappy marriage.

Answer: The Night Watch

"The Night Watch" was completed in 1642 by Rembrandt and is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The reason for the confusion is that, although this painting is well known as "The Night Watch," this name is incorrect. By the time Rembrandt painted these men, they would have been fairly placated. Their meetings would most likely have been for social events rather than to form a "watch" and defend the city of Amsterdam. Moreover, it is believed that, due to the dirt which had accumulated over the years, the painting was misinterpreted to show a scene at night. It is now believed that the painting shows a group of men during the day.

Answer: Gothic

American Gothic was painted in 1930 by the American artist, Grant Wood. It shows a man and a woman (modelled by Wood's sister and their dentist) standing in front of a gothic-style house.

This picture was generally not received well in Midwestern America. Many saw Wood as poking fun at the rural way of life of these Americans. Some also took issue with the subjects, as many farmers' wives complained, stating that the image of "a farmer's wife" is portrayed here in a negative way. However, the painting claims to be an innocent portrayal of simple rural life, in contrast to the mainly urban art of the time. Nevertheless, the painting's unclear motives promise to keep opinions divided.

Answer: Auguste Rodin

The artwork described here is Rodin's, "The Kiss." The large marble statue is another of the world's most recognisable works of art. Once again, the piece was not always known as "The Kiss." Instead, it was first called "Francesca de Rimini." This title refers to the story behind the sculpture - where Francesca falls in love with a man called Paolo Malatesta, who is also Francesca's husband's younger brother.

Their story is told in Dante's "Inferno," which also describes how Francesca's husband becomes enraged by the affair, killing the couple.

Answer: The Venus de Milo

The Venus de Milo was discovered in 1820 on the island of Melos. The discovery took place as an ensign in the French navy, Olivier Voutier, was searching for Greek relics, when a local farmer had uncovered the statue (albeit in several fragments), and urged Voutier to buy it. Shortly after, Dumont d'Urville (another Frenchman) arrived on the island. He was equally impressed by the statue. However, neither man was in a position to buy the Venus, and so both continued on their respective voyages to Constantinople. When D'Urville arrived, he met the comte de Marcellus, secretary to the French ambassador. Marcellus asked if he could buy the statue on behalf of the ambassador, so that it could then be presented to the king, Louis XVIII.

The Venus de Milo is one of the most recognisable sculptures worldwide, having featured in many films and TV programmes, such as Disney's "Hercules" and "The Simpsons" (as the gummy Venus de Milo).

Answer: Who are you?

This painting is known as "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" (Or "D'oł venons-nous? Qui sommes-nous? Oł allons-nous?" as it was originally known in French).

This painting was intended to be viewed from right to left, as this is the order of which Gauguin attempts to answer the three questions posed in the title. On the far right, there is a newborn baby. This seems to tackle the query of "where do we come from?" Next, the issue of "what are we?" is addressed, as the centre of the picture shows a man (boy) picking an apple from a tree and a girl eating an apple. This is said to represent the human quest for knowledge and has a clear link to the story of Adam and Eve. Finally, the "where are we going?" aspect is looked at. The old lady on the far left is a duller shade than the other figures in the painting and is clearly on the verge of death. Gauguin uses these images to invite people to try and answer these three questions for themselves.

Answer: A unicorn

This art work was created by Damien Hirst in 2008. Like many of Hirst's works, "The Dream" brought about a very mixed response. Many did not like the idea of a white foal in a tank of formaldehyde for the sake of art. This was due to the views of foals being harmless, gentle creatures, and unicorns being something strongly associated with children, dreams, and magic. "The Dream" is similar to another of Hirst's works, the "The Kingdom," which shows a shark in a tank of formaldehyde.