Your Art Gallery: The Baroque Era Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Dating to the early 17th century, "Village Street" is typical of the 'paradise landscapes' produced by this wonderful artist who is also known for his floral still life paintings. Who is this Flemish artist?

Answer: Jan Brueghel the Elder

Born in 1568 in Brussels, Jan Brueghel the Elder was the son of Pieter Bruegel the Elder and the father of Jan Brueghel the Younger. Jan the Elder is sometimes nicknamed "The Paradise Brueghel" because many of his works depict these idyllic peasant scenes.

"Village Street" is part of the collection amalgamated by William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, that is now on display at the 'Gem�ldegalerie Alte Meister', a gallery housed at the 'Schloss Wilhelmsh�he' in the central German city of Kassel.

A wonderful portrait of the Brueghel family by Peter Paul Rubens can be seen at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

2. Painted around 1600, "Portrait of a Lute Player" is a work by an early Baroque artist from a family of painters out of the Bologna School. He is probably best-known for his frescoes, a form often considered a true test of a painter's skill. Who is this Italian artist?

Answer: Annibale Carracci

Born in 1560 in Bologna in northern Italy, Annibale Carracci is the brother of Agostino Carracci and the cousin of Lodovico Carracci. Many frescoes that can still be seen today, such as the "Story of Jason" at the 'Palazzo Fava' and "The Founding of Rome" at 'Palazzo Magnani' (two Renaissance-style palaces in Bologna) were worked on by all three members of the family.

Whilst today Caravaggio's canvases are more widely known than Carracci's frescoes, the latter was considered the more well-rounded artist during their lifetime.

"Portrait of a Lute Player" is on display at the 'Gem�ldegalerie Alte Meister' (The Old Masters Picture Gallery) which is housed in 'Semper's Building' in the eastern German city of Dresden.

3. Painted in the mid-17th century, "Santiago in the Battle of Clavijo" was painted by an Asturian artist best known for his royal portraits, having served as the official court painter to the Spanish queen from 1671-85. Who is this artist?

Answer: Juan Carreno de Miranda

Juan Carre�o de Miranda was born in 1614 in Aviles, one of the main cities in the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain, where today his statue dominates the central square. In the 1660s, he was part of a group of artists who worked on the frescoes in the 'Alcazar', a Moorish castle in Madrid that was destroyed by fire in 1734. When Sebastian de Herrera died in 1671, Miranda was appointed as court painter to the Spanish queen, and thus many of his surviving works are portraits of the royal family.

"Santiago in the Battle of Clavijo" can be seen at the 'Sz�pműv�szeti M�zeum' (The Museum of Fine Arts) located in Heroes' Square in the Hungarian capital, Budapest.

4. Painted around 1650, "Equestrian Portrait of Pieter de Roovere" is the work of another member of a famous painting family. Particularly known for his large views of the Dutch countryside, he was one of the most important Dutch landscape painters of the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age. Who is this artist?

Answer: Aelbert Cuyp

Aelbert Jacobsz Cuyp was born in 1620 in the city of Dordrecht in the western Netherlands. His father, Jacob Gerritsz Cuyp, was also a noted landscapist and his grandfather, Gerrit Gerritsz Cuyp, a famous designer of stained glass. He is particularly noted for paintings done in the early morning and the late afternoon, and his use of sunlight.

"Equestrian Portrait of Pieter de Roovere" is part of the prestigious 'Royal Cabinet of Paintings' housed at the 'Mauritshuis' art museum in The Hague Netherlands.

5. Painted in the early 1630s, "Bacchanal Before a Statue of Pan" is typical of work by the leading painter of the classical French Baroque school. He is best known for his history paintings of religious or mythological subjects, although he also produced numerous portraits in his two decades as "First Painter to the King". Who is this artist?

Answer: Nicolas Poussin

Nicolas Poussin was born in 1594 in the commune of Les Andelys in Normandy in northern France. Although he spent much of his working life in Rome, he is still considered the most important French artist of the early Baroque period.

The position of 'Premier peintre du Roi' was only established in France in 1603 and continued up until the French Revolution nearly two centuries later. Posssin was appointed in 1641, joining Simon Vouet, and was only the third artist so honoured. He retained this position until his death in 1665. Louis XIV became a fan of Poussin as a child and put together quite a collection of his works during his long reign. Most notable of Poussin's works during his time at court is perhaps his "Last Supper", originally painted for the Palace of Versailles and now one of many of his paintings on display at The Louvre.

"Bacchanal before a Statue of Pan" is one of a fairly large collection of Poussin paintings that can be seen at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square in London.

6. Painted in 1635, "Charles I at the Hunt" depicts perhaps the most passionate art collector ever to sit on the English throne. This Flemish artist was the most prominent of the many foreign masters with whom King Charles I surrounded himself, and he is particularly known for his portraits of the royal family. Who is this artist?

Answer: Sir Anthony van Dyck

Antoon van Dyck was born in 1599 in the city of Antwerp, then within the Spanish Netherlands and now in Belgium. Whilst noted for some magnificent biblical and mythological subjects, he is best-known for his portraits of Charles I and other members of the English court. Indeed, whilst van Dyck was given a suite of rooms at the palace, a special passageway was also built to enable the King and Queen easy access to the artist's studio in Blackfriars.

"Charles I at the Hunt" was purchased by King Louis XVI of France in 1775 and is now part of the collection at The Louvre.

7. Painted around 1640, "Still Life with Basket of Glasses" is a work by the most important German still life artist of the Baroque period. Many of his works were lost, but rediscovered in the 1930s. He spent much of his working life in Paris. Who is this Alsatian artist?

Answer: Sebastian Stoskopff

Sebastian Stoskopff was born in 1597 in the Alsatian city of Strasbourg, which has found itself on both the French and German side of the border at various times. Many of his still lifes include goblets, cups or glasses, but their most distinguishing feature is their minimalist nature, with the scene usually reduced to just a few objects.

"Still Life with Basket of Glasses" is on display at the 'Mus�e des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg' (Strasbourg Museum of Fine Arts), which houses the city's 'Old Masters' collection. Located in the baroque 'Palais Rohan', this museum hosts the largest collection of works by Stoskopff.

8. Dating to 1599-1600, "The Calling of Saint Matthew" is one of three of this artist's works that decorate the church of 'San Luigi dei Francesi' in Rome. Many critics heralded him as a great artistic visionary and his style has a distinct influence on Baroque painting. Who is this early Baroque Italian artist?

Answer: Caravaggio

He was born Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in 1571 in Milan, but is known today simply as Caravaggio. The dramatic use of light in his paintings is a distinguishing feature, and was a significant influence on the Baroque painters who followed him. In our featured work, it is the beam of light coming from the window that expresses Saint Matthew's conversion without the need for the flying angels and parting clouds seen in other artist's interpretation of this scenario.

"The Calling of Saint Matthew" along with "The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew" and "The Inspiration of Saint Matthew" are the three Caravaggio paintings that can be seen in the 'Contarelli Chapel' in Rome's church of 'San Luigi dei Francesi' near to 'Piazza Navona'.

9. Painted in 1661-62, "Charles II of England in Coronation Robes" is a work by a British artist who was the principal court artist to King Charles II and, later, also worked for James II. Noted for the realism in his portraits, he is widely considered one of the most important British painters of his era. Who is this artist?

Answer: John Michael Wright

John Michael Wright was born in 1615, although it is uncertain whether he was English or Scottish. He trained in Edinburgh and spent many years in Rome. he was engaged by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, the governor of the Spanish Netherlands, and served as the court painter in England both before and after the Restoration. He spent his latter years back in Rome, as part of the embassy sent by the Roman Catholic king James II to the court of Pope Innocent XI.

"Charles II of England in Coronation Robes" is part of the Royal Collection, which is spread across numerous British sites. This particular work can be seen in the Queen's Presence Chamber at Hampton Court Palace, one of the sites that is open to the public and not lived in by the Royal family.

10. Painted around 1670, "Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede" is a work by the pre-eminent landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age. A member of a family of Haarlem landscape artists, he was a prolific painter of outstanding Dutch countryside scenes. Who is this artist?

Answer: Jacob van Ruisdael

Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael was born around 1629 in the city of Haarlem in the western Netherlands. A member of a family of landscapists, he is the son of Isaack van Ruisdael, the nephew of Salomon van Ruysdael and the cousin of Jacob van Ruysdael.

Ruisdael concentrated on Dutch country scenes in his early years but in his latter days also painted numerous seascapes and city panoramas. It is particularly notable that an unusual proportion of many of his canvases depict spectacular skies.

"Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede" can be seen at the 'Rijksmuseum', located in Museum Square in southern Amsterdam.

Source: Author EnglishJedi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The next room in our virtual art gallery concentrates not on a specific genre but on a period or style of painting. Color, light and shadows are features of Baroque art from the late 16th century to the early 18th.

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