Self-Portrait Included: Name The Artist! Quiz

Answer: Botticelli

Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipep, also known as Sandro Botticelli, is well-known for painting "The Birth of Venus". What school child didn't see at least part of this picture in their history book? Venus, the Roman goddess of love, is standing naked in a sea shell at the beach. Scholars believe the portrait of Venus may be Simonetta Vespucci (nicknamed 'la Bella' - the beautiful), who appears to have been pictured in several of Botticelli's paintings.

It seems that in later life, after meeting Savonarola, the focus of Botticelli's paintings moves from mythological beings to religious ones.

Answer: Sofonisba Anguissola

As a woman, it was impossible for Sofonisba to engage in a study of anatomy that would allow her to do paintings on a large scale. Instead, she concentrated on portraits, and is probably best known for her portraits of her own family. At the age of twenty-six she was hired to be the lady-in-waiting and artistic tutor to Élisabeth de Valois, the queen consort of Philip II. Sofonisba painted several formal portraits at this time that differed from the informal ones of her earlier career. Noble subjects had exquisite clothing and jewelry that required painstaking detail in portraiture; this talent can be seen in many of Sofonisba's pictures.

Interesting, King Philip II arranged for the marriage of Sofonisba to a nobleman in his court, even paying her dowry. Living to the ripe age of ninety-three, she is believed to have painted over fifty works.

Answer: Tintoretto

There is a bit of a disagreement as to why Tintoretto was sent home by Titian; some say it was because the aging artist was threatened by a younger genius, while others claim that something happened which made Titian believe that Tintoretto would never be a fine student.

The one artwork that is probably the most famous by Tintoretto is called "Paradise", which is said to be the largest painting ever executed on canvas. Painted with the aid of his son when he was seventy years old, the picture is the approximate size of a tennis court.

Answer: Michelangelo

Of course Michelangelo would have been immediately obvious if the Sistine Chapel had been mentioned! His self-portrait is from the scene in the chapel that depicts the biblical story of Judith, who beheaded the Assyrian general, Holofernes, before he could lay waste to her home, the city of Bethulia. Typically the head is pictured as being carried away by a servant, as portrayed by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

His impact as a sculptor and artist, as well as an architect, was not only felt in his time, but he continues to influence artists to this day.

Answer: Raphael

Although Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael were contemporaries, they didn't hang out together. Leonardo was the oldest of the group; he was already twenty-three when Michelangelo was born. Michelangelo was eight years older than Raphael, but outlived him by forty years. By all accounts the three members of the triad had little use for each other. Raphael's "School of Athens" is considered to be his most famous work; the fresco was painted in the Papal Palace in the Vatican.

However, he also painted pictures of beautiful madonnas and portraits, and, at one time, was considered to be the most important architect in Rome.

Answer: Masaccio

If "The Pisa Altarpiece" or "Virgin and Child with Saint Anne" had been mentioned, it would have been easy for most people to choose the brilliant artist, Masaccio! Many believe he was the greatest artist of the Late Middle Ages/Early Renaissance in Italy; although it portrayed largely religious themes, his style of art moved toward humanist ideals that were common in art produced during the Renaissance.

Not only was he considered to be the best painter of his generation, he also was among the first to use the vanishing point technique in his art.

Answer: Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer would have been an easy choice if woodcuts and engraving had been mentioned! Perhaps his most famous woodblocks were sixteen drawings called the "Apocalypse". This medium allowed several prints of one picture to be made, and helped to spread his fame as an artist. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, was his main patron, but he also painted a portrait for Christian II of Denmark.

In addition, he painted numerous other portraits and altarpieces, and wrote one series of books about geometry and applying its principals called "Four Books on Measurement", as well as another series called "Four Books on Human Proportion".

Answer: Leonardo

Without a doubt, telling you about "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper" would have immediately given away the correct answer! Believed to be the quintessential Renaissance Man, Leonardo had so many interests, it was difficult for him to bring any project to completion! His list of talents seems endless: music, optics, inventing, anatomy, and engineering, to name a few.

In his "Lives of the Artists", Gigio Giorgio Vasari describes Leonardo by writing, "In the normal course of events many men and women are born with remarkable talents; but occasionally, in a way that transcends nature, a single person is marvellously endowed by Heaven with beauty, grace and talent in such abundance that he leaves other men far behind...." To this very day, people still rave about his genius.

Answer: Titian

Called "The Sun Amidst Small Stars" by contemporaries, Titian was known for his versatility; he could paint portraits, landscapes, religious or mythological subjects with equal ease. Although his use of colour changed as he grew older, his handling of it is considered unsurpassed. Famous works include "Danaë", which was completed for the second time for his patron, Philip II, along with other works with mythological themes.

In addition he painted an endless assortment of portraits of important and wealthy people of his day; his portrait of Philip II was sent to England for the purpose of wooing Queen Mary Tudor - which it did! It is estimated that approximately 75% of Titian's four hundred works still survive.

Answer: Hans Holbein the Younger

Of course, as "King's Painter", Holbein was employed by none other than Henry VIII, who came into contact with him after Holbein worked for Anne Boleyn and Thomas More. Not only did Holbein paint pictures of the ever-growing family, he also designed jewelry and other precious objects, such as silver cups.

After the death of another patron, Thomas Cromwell, Holbein continued to work for Henry VIII, but was forced to take other commissions as well. It must have been a bit hair-raising at times to be in the middle of all the intrigue in Henry's court.

However, the fame (or infamy!) of his patrons has been one thing that has kept Holbein's art alive. He painted the pictures that are still seen by students in history books today; for this reason he is called "the cameraman of Tudor history".