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The Art of Jan Vermeer Trivia Quiz

The following are questions about the Dutch artist Jan Vermeer's life and works.

A multiple-choice quiz by musettae. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
musettae

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
61,143

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
649

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Vermeer was born to parents of what faith? Hint

Catholic

Agnostic

Jewish

Protestant

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Question 2 of 10

2. Vermeer began as what type of painter? Hint

History

Portrait

Genre

Still Life

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which artist's painting of 'The Procuress' probably influenced Vermeer's 1656 rendition of the subject? Hint

Frans Hals

Carel Fabritius

Jan Steen

Dirck van Baburen

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Question 4 of 10

4. What type of genre scene does Vermeer most typically depict? Hint

children playing in the streets of Delft

vice-ridden brothels

families at mealtime

isolated women in Dutch interiors

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which of the following works illustrates an atypical subject for Vermeer? Hint

'View of Delft'

'Woman Holding a Balance'

'The Music Lesson'

'The Glass of Wine'

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Question 6 of 10

6. There is an almost complete absence of which of the following in Vermeer's known paintings? Hint

women

children

maps

alcohol

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is Vermeer's method of applying small dabs of highlights to his pictures with the tip of his brush in order to enhance the convincing appearance of naturalistic light called? Hint

pointillism

pointille

chiaroscuro

alla prima

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which country boasts ownership of more known Vermeer paintings than any other in the world? Hint

Belgium

Germany

United States

The Netherlands

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which item of the following does NOT appear several times in Vermeer's genre scenes? Hint

pearls

bread

fur coat

virginal

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Question 10 of 10

10. What did Vermeer possibly use to aid in working out his compositions? Hint

preparatory drawings

magnifying glass

apprentice

camera obscura

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Vermeer was born to parents of what faith?

Answer: Protestant

Vermeer was born and raised Protestant, but converted to Catholicism on the occasion of is marriage into a Catholic family.

2. Vermeer began as what type of painter?

Answer: History

In contrast to his interest in genre scenes that dominates his ouvre, Vermeer's earliest known works, such as 'Saint Praxedis' (1655), are in fact history paintings.

3. Which artist's painting of 'The Procuress' probably influenced Vermeer's 1656 rendition of the subject?

Answer: Dirck van Baburen

Maria Thins, Vermeer's mother-in-law, owned this work by Baburen, enabling Vermeer easy access to his inspiration.

4. What type of genre scene does Vermeer most typically depict?

Answer: isolated women in Dutch interiors

The motif of the woman by a window within the realm of domesticity, often reading a letter, is a recurring element in Vermeer's art.

5. Which of the following works illustrates an atypical subject for Vermeer?

Answer: 'View of Delft'

'View of Delft' (ca. 1660-1661) is one of only two known paintings by Vermeer that depict views of the city. Though his 'The Little Street' (ca. 1657-1658) does show several Dutch buildings along a residential street, only in 'View of Delft' do we see an expansive layout of the city, as well as its harbor and a bit of the surrounding land.

6. There is an almost complete absence of which of the following in Vermeer's known paintings?

Answer: children

Curiously, though Vermeer was the father of no less than eleven children, they do not appear in his genre scenes, with the possible exception of the kneeling, anonymous figures in 'The Little Street'.

7. What is Vermeer's method of applying small dabs of highlights to his pictures with the tip of his brush in order to enhance the convincing appearance of naturalistic light called?

Answer: pointille

This technique can be seen, for example, in the still life depiction of bread on the table of 'The Milkmaid' (ca.1658-1660).

8. Which country boasts ownership of more known Vermeer paintings than any other in the world?

Answer: United States

No less than twelve of Vermeer's approximately thirty-five extant paintings reside within the U.S., notably at the Metropolitan and Frick Museums of New York City, and at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

9. Which item of the following does NOT appear several times in Vermeer's genre scenes?

Answer: bread

Though Vermeer employs numerous items repeatedly in his subjects, bread appears only once, in the kitchen scene depicted in 'The Milkmaid'.

10. What did Vermeer possibly use to aid in working out his compositions?

Answer: camera obscura

Vermeer's achievement of convincing visual effects in his works suggests that he might have employed the camera obscura, an optical device that reflects the subject onto the canvas, to achieve his close imitation of visual reality. Evidence that the artist might have owned such a device supports this theory.

Source: Author musettae

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Snowman before going online.
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