Apr 4, 2023

🎨 Great Works Of Art Quiz

I put this picture quiz together by way of an art appreciation session. The idea is to print off the pictures and put them on the tables without the names (or show them via slide show), then ask members to find the right painting from the list below.

After this you could ask members to rate the painting or sculpture in order of their preference.

Or you could run it as a straight question and answer picture quiz and discuss the paintings as you view them.

A few songs are interspersed for members' enjoyment and reminiscence.

Paintings are presented here in chronological order.

If you have time to prepare, ask members to come to the session with a photo of their favourite ever painting. Perhaps one they have a copy of at home.

Or members might have painted or drawn their own work. Ask them to show their efforts.

Remember there is a 'Creative Art Gallery' on this website if members should want to showcase their work to a wider audience.

Our 'prize was a 'Painting By Numbers' kit. (We also recommended the 'ColorPlanet: Oil Painting Game' app, which is available on both Android and iOS play stores.)

'Tutankhamun's Death Mask'

Created around 1323 BC

Discovered by Howard Carter in 1925 and now housed in the 'Egyptian Museum' in Cairo, this mask is one of the most well-known works of art in the world. Tutankhamun is thought to have died from complications of a broken leg and malaria at about age 18 or 19. He was known as 'The Boy King'.

How much is his death mask worth today?

a. Around £1.6m

b. Around £11.6m

c. Around £111.6m

'Parthenon Sculptures'

Created around 432 BC

The Parthenon Sculptures are a collection of Ancient Greek sculptures from the Parthenon and other structures from the Acropolis of Athens, removed from Ottoman Greece to Britain in 1812 by agents of the Scottish nobleman Thomas Bruce and now held in the British Museum.

What is their other more commonly used name?

a. Elgin Marbles

b. McAlpin Marbles

c. McDonald Marbles

'Venus De Milo'

Sculpture by Alexandros, circa 125BC

The Venus de Milo is an ancient Greek sculpture that was created during the Hellenistic period, sometime between 150 and 125 BC. The Roman goddess of love and beauty is Venus. But as this statue is Greek, who was it dedicated to?

a. Aphrodite

b. Athena

c. Hera

'Bayeux Tapestry'

Created by Nuns around the 11th century

The first written record of the 'Bayeux Tapestry' is in 1476, when it was recorded in the cathedral treasury at Bayeux as 'a very long and narrow hanging on which are embroidered figures and inscriptions comprising a representation of the conquest of England'.

Which King is featured on the Tapestry with an arrow through his eye in 1066?

a. Richard The Lionheart

b. King Charles 111

c. King Harold

'David'

Sculpture by Michelangelo, 1504

David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture, created in marble between 1501 and 1504 by the Italian artist Michelangelo. David is a statue of the Biblical figure David, a favoured subject in the art of Florence.

How tall is this sculpture?

a. 7ft

b. 17ft

c. 27ft

'The Birth Of Venus'

Painting by Sandro Botticelli, 1480s

The 'Birth of Venus' is a painting by the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, probably executed in the mid 1480s. It depicts the goddess Venus arriving at the shore after her birth, when she had emerged from the sea fully-grown. The painting is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Which girl group had a hit record with a song named after this goddess?

a. Pussy Cat Dolls

b. Spice Girls

c. Bananarama

Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4-1ASpdT1Y

'Vetruvian Man'

Drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, 1490

Renaissance artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci, dated to c. 1490. Inspired by the writings by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, the drawing depicts a nude man in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and inscribed in both a circle and square.

Which current affairs programme used this drawing in its opening titles?

a. 'World In Action'

b. 'Panorama'

c. 'That's Life'

Here they are - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uLPDhCgS8M

'The Last Supper'

Painting by Leonardo da Vinci, 1498

The Last Supper is a mural painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, dated to c. 1495–1498. The painting represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, as it is told in the Gospel of John. It is currently in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy

Who betrayed Jesus just after this meal?

a. Mary Magdalene

b. Judas Iscariot

c. Simon Peter

'La Pietà'

Sculpture by Michelangelo, 1499

The 'Madonna della Pietà' is a Roman Catholic image of Jesus and Mary at Mount Golgotha representing the “Sixth Sorrow” of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a key work of Italian Renaissance sculpture carved by Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Where would you find this statute?

a. St Peter's Basilica, Rome

b. St Paul's Cathedral

c. The Louvre, Paris

'Mona Lisa'

Painting by Leonardo da Vinci, 1503

The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world".

Which 2003 thriller by Dan Brown featured this painting and artist?

a. 'The Lost Symbol'

b. 'Angels And Demons'

c. 'The Da Vinci Code'

There is a song about this painting. Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIDX18Xl16s

'Salvator Mundi'

Painting by Leonardo da Vinci, 1510

'Salvator Mundi' (Latin for 'Savior of the World') is a painting attributed in whole or in part to the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, dated to c. 1499–1510. The painting depicts Jesus Christ in blue Renaissance dress, making the sign of the cross with his right hand, while holding a transparent, non-refracting crystal orb in his left representing the 'celestial sphere' of the heavens.

This painting is the most valuable in the world. How much did it sell for in 2017?

a. Nearly £3.5

b. Nearly £35m

c. Nearly £350m

'The Creation Of Adam'

Painting by Michelangelo, 1512

The 'Creation of Adam' is a fresco painting by Italian artist Michelangelo, which forms part of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, painted c. 1508–1512. It illustrates the Biblical creation narrative from the 'Book of Genesis' in which God gives life to Adam, the first man. (However, the painting shows Adam with a belly button and God sat in a brain, which signifies Michelangelo's views about science versus religion.

Which TV show used the 'touching fingers' in its opening titles?

a. 'South Bank Show'

b. 'Panorama'

c. 'The Sky At Night'

Here they are - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgB4j31-SXk&t=58s

'Girl With A Pearl Earring'

Painting by Johannes Vermeer, 1665

'Girl With A Pearl Earring' is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, dated c. 1665. Going by various names over the centuries, it became known by its present title towards the end of the 20th century after the earring worn by the girl portrayed there.

What is the matter with this painting?

a. Cat

b. Lipstick

c. Size of the pearl

'Fontana Di Trevi'

Created by Nicola Salvi. Construction lasted from 1732 to 1762.

The 'Trevi Fountain' is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini and several others.

What does it mean if you throw a coin into the fountain?

a. You will have good luck

b. You will have good weather

c. You will return to Rome

Here is the song associated with the fountain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo8qV1bPqVM

'The Blue Boy'

Painting by Thomas Gainsborough, 1770

The 'Blue Boy' is a full-length portrait in oil by Thomas Gainsborough, owned by The Huntington in San Marino, California. It sits opposite the painting by him below.

What is the painting below called?

a. 'Pretty Girl'

b. 'Sunday Afternoon'

c. 'Pinkie'

'The Hay Wain'

Painting by John Constable, 1821

'The Hay Wain' – originally titled 'Landscape: Noon' – is a painting by John Constable, completed in 1821, which depicts a rural scene on the River Stour between the English counties of Suffolk and Essex.

What does 'Wain' mean?

a. Way

b. Water

c. Wagon

'Liberty Leading the People'

Painting by Eugène Delacroix, 1830

'Liberty Leading the People' is a painting by Eugène Delacroix commemorating the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled King Charles X.

Which flag is depicted in this painting?

a. France

b. Russia

c. Great Britain

'Great Wave Off Kanagawa'

Created by Hokusai in 1831

The 'Great Wave of Kanagawa' is a woodblock print by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai, created in late 1831 during the Edo period of Japanese history. The print depicts three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large wave forming a spiral in the centre.

Which mountain can be seen in the background?

a. Mount Fuji

b. Mount Kilamanjaro

c. Mount Etna

'The Fighting Temeraire'

Painting by JMW Turner, 1838

'The Fighting Temeraire', tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838 is an oil-on-canvas painting by the English artist Joseph Mallord William Turner, painted in 1838 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1839.

This painting features on the reverse of which polymer bank note?

a. £10

b. £20

c. £50

'Ophelia'

Painting by John Everett Millais, 1852

Ophelia is an 1851–52 painting by British artist Sir John Everett Millais in the collection of Tate Britain, London. It depicts Ophelia singing before she drowns in a river.

Which Shakespeare play featured this character?

a. 'Macbeth'

b. 'King Lear'

c. 'Hamlet'

'Whistler's Mother'

Painting by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, 1871

'Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1', best known under its colloquial name 'Whistler's Mother' is a painting in oils on canvas created by the American-born painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler in 1871. The subject of the painting is Whistler's mother, Anna McNeill Whistler.

Who did this to the painting below (in a 1997 movie)?

a. Ali G

b. Mr Bean

c. Alan Partridge

Here's the clip (start at about 2 mins) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTli1HU9axY

'Luncheon of the Boating Party'

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1882

'Luncheon of the Boating Party' is an 1881 painting by French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It was included in the 'Salon' in 1882 and was identified as the best painting in the show by three critics.

What style is the painting in?

a. Impressionist

b. French modern

c. Romantic

'Sunflowers'

Van Gogh, 1889

Van Gogh’s paintings of 'Sunflowers' are among his most famous. He did them in Arles, in the south of France, in 1888 and 1889. Van Gogh painted a total of five large canvases with sunflowers in a vase, with three shades of yellow ‘and nothing else’. In this way, he demonstrated that it was possible to create an image with numerous variations of a single colour, without any loss of eloquence. The sunflower paintings had a special significance for Van Gogh: they communicated ‘gratitude’, he wrote.

Which body part did he 'lose' in 1888?

a. Arm

b. Leg

c. Ear

'A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte'

Painting by Georges Seurat, 1886

'A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte' was painted from 1884 to 1886 and is Georges Seurat's most famous work. A leading example of pointillist technique, executed on a large canvas, it is a founding work of the neo-impressionist movement.

Which river is seen in this painting?

a. Loire

b. Seine

c. Rhine

'The Starry Night'

Painting by Vincent van Gogh, 1889

'The Starry Night' is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Van Gogh. Painted in June 1889, it depicts the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village.

What song was written about this artist?

a. 'Vincent'

b. 'Nights In White Satin'

c. 'When You Wish Upon A Star'

Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHnRfhDmrk

'Dr Who' put together a wonderful sketch of taking Van Gogh to the future to see how his paintings were appreciated. Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jjWtUpqV9w

FACTOID. According to popular lore, van Gogh sold only one painting in his entire life. This oft-repeated tale was challenged more than 30 years ago, but it still goes on. In fact, van Gogh sold at least two paintings in his lifetime, and some drawings as well.

'The Scream'

Painting by Edvard Munch, 1893

'The Scream' is a composition created by Edvard Munch in 1893.It stemmed from a panic attack that Munch suffered in 1892. He described how it occurred, as he was strolling along a path outside Kristiania: “The sun was setting and the clouds turned as red as blood. I sensed a scream passing through nature.

Which city museum was it stolen from in 1994 and 2004?

a. Moscow

b. Oslo

c. Milan

'The Waterlily Pond: Green Harmony'

Painting by Claude Monet, 1899

In 1916 Monet had a new studio built at his home in Giverny in order to work on huge canvases of his water-lily pond, each of them more than two metres high. These monumental paintings were intended to form an entire decorative scheme, and he donated 22 of them to the French state.

How many paintings of the water lily pond in Giverny, France, did Monet paint?

a. 25

b. 125

c. 250

'The Thinker'

Auguste Rodin, 1904

Rodin conceived the figure as part of his work 'The Gates of Hell' this familiar monumental bronze casting was made in 1904 and is now exhibited at the Musée Rodin, in Paris.

Which TV celebrity used to do a 'Thinker Pose' in most of his TV shows?

a. Bruce Forsyth

b. Eric Morecambe

c. Tommy Cooper

'The Kiss'

Gustav Klimt, 1908

'The Kiss' is an oil-on-canvas painting with added gold leaf, silver and platinum by the Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt. It was painted at some point in 1907 and 1908, during the height of what scholars call his "Golden Period".

What date is 'Valentine's Day'?

a. 14th February

b. 1st April

c. 4th July

'La Danse'

Painting by Henri Matisse, 1910

Amongst Henri Matisse's most famous works, 'Dance' is an ode to life, joy, physical abandonment, and has become an emblem of modern art. The artwork was commissioned with its matching painting 'Music' by the influential Russian collector Sergei Shchukin in 1909 for decorating his mansion.

Which of these is a French dance?

a. Can Can

b. Flamenco

c. Cha Cha Cha

'The Little Mermaid'

Edvard Eriksen, 1913

'The Little Mermaid' is a bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen, depicting a mermaid becoming human. The sculpture is displayed on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade.

'The Little Mermaid' was a gift from Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen to the people of which city?

a. Amsterdam

b. Copenhagen

c. Reykjavik

'Going to the Match'

Painting by L. S. Lowry, 1928

Painted in 1953, 'Going to the Match' shows football fans and Burnden Park, Bolton, the then home of 'Bolton Wanderers' football club, a ground only a few miles from Pendlebury in Salford and often visited by Lowry, as a young man.

Where did he paint all his paintings (the county)?

a. Essex

b. Yorkshire

c. Lancashire

SONG. Here is a song about this artist. The YouTube link includes lyrics, to enable a singalong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmopSVOMSsU

'American Gothic'

Painting by Grant Wood, 1930

'American Gothic' is a 1930 painting by Grant Wood in the collection of the 'Art Institute of Chicago'. Wood was inspired to paint what is now known as the 'American Gothic House' in Eldon, Iowa, along with "the kind of people [he] fancied should live in that house".

What period in American history is the painting said to represent?

a. Great Depression

b. Civil War

c. Roaring Twenties

'Composition with Red Blue and Yellow'

Piet Mondrian, 1930

'Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow' is a 1930 painting by Piet Mondrian, a Dutch artist who was a leading figure in the Neo-Plasticism movement. It consists of thick, black brushwork, defining the borders of colored rectangles.

What style of painting is this?

a. Minimalism

b. Cubism

c. Modernism

'The Persistence of Memory'

Painting by Salvador Dalí, 1931

'The Persistence of Memory' is a 1931 painting by artist Salvador Dalí and one of the most recognizable works of Surrealism. First shown at the Julien Levy Gallery in 1932, since 1934 the painting has been in the collection of the 'Museum of Modern Art' in New York City, which received it from an anonymous donor.

Which director commissioned this artist to create imagery for the psychedelic dream sequence in the 1958 film 'Vertigo'?

a. David Lean

b. Alfred Hitchcock

c. Orson Welles

'Le Rêve'

Painting by Pablo Picasso, 1932

'Le Rêve' is a 1932 oil on canvas painting by Pablo Picasso, then 50 years old, portraying his 22-year-old mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter. It is said to have been painted in one afternoon, on 24 January 1932.

What is the meaning of the title of this painting?

a. The sleep

b. The headache

c. The dream

'Mother and Child'

Sculpture by Barbara Hepworth, 1934

'Mother and Child' 1934 is a small abstract stone sculpture by the British artist Barbara Hepworth, which is horizontal in configuration and has an undulating and biomorphic shape. The sculpture is loosely figurative, with the larger shape representing the reclining figure of the mother and the smaller shape that rests on top of it a child held in her embrace.

In which Cornish seaside town would you find a museum and garden dedicated to her work?

a. St Ives

b. Padstow

c. Penzance

'La Mariée'

Painting by Marc Chagall, 1950

Chagall paintings often feature young women or couples, but in 'La Mariée' the focus is on a singular young woman in quasi-wedding attire with a bouquet of flowers. Described by a Chagall fan as "an ode to young love", the woman is presented to the viewer in a bold and conspicuous fashion, as if the viewer is the one marrying her.

Which 1999 film had Julia Roberts' character give this painting to Hugh Grant's character?

a. 'Four Weddings And A Funeral'

b. 'Notting Hill'

c. 'Love Actually'

SONG. Here is a song from the film. The YouTube link includes lyrics, to enable a singalong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyqbvaQc7BQ&t=37s

'The Son of Man'

Painting by René Magritte, 1964

'The Son of Man' is a 1964 painting by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. It is perhaps his best-known artwork. Magritte painted it as a self-portrait. The painting consists of a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat standing in front of a low wall, beyond which are the sea and a cloudy sky.

Which 1999 movie had the theft of this painting at the centre of its story?

a. 'The Thomas Crown Affair'

b. 'The Sting'

c. 'The Italian Job'

This song is from the original 1968 movie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXFh-mYh2dQ

'Blue Marilyn'

Painting by Andy Warhol, 1964

Pop artist Andy Warhol had a fascination with Hollywood and fame. A legend of the silver screen, Marilyn Monroe is widely considered to be the epitome of Hollywood glamour. After her death at the age of 36 in August 1962, Warhol began immortalizing her in his work. "In August '62 I started doing silkscreens.... It was all so simple-quick and chancy. I was thrilled with it."

How much did this painting recently sell for at auction, making it the most valuable 20th century painting?

a. $1.9m

b. $19.5m

c. $195m

'Fallen Madonna With The Big Boobies'

Painting by the fictional artist Van Clomp, 1982

Which UK TV sitcom was this painting created for?

How much did it actually sell for in 2018?

a. £1,500

b. £5,000

c. £15,000

Here is the TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eTaxXkH0_I

'Molly Malone Statue'

Created by artist Jeanne Rynhart, 1988

Rynhart’s Molly Malone statue was created in 1988 for the Dublin Millennium celebrations.

You would find this statue in 'Dublin's fair city'. But what did poor Molly Malone die of?

a. Food poisoning

b. A fever

c. Syphilis

Here is her song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Deeh9n-VI

'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living For the Love of God'

By Damien Hirst, 1991

'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living' is philosophical at its core. "To come face-to-face with something that is dead, something that, were it living, could end your own life, is a very thought-provoking and, ultimately, frightening thing."

What does he preserve his subjects in?

a. Sea water

b. Ammonia

c. Formaldehyde

'My Bed'

By Tracy Emin, 1998

'My Bed' is a work by the English artist Tracey Emin. First created in 1998, it was exhibited at the 'Tate Gallery' in 1999 as one of the shortlisted works for the Turner Prize. It consisted of her bed with bedroom objects in a dishevelled state, and gained much media attention.

How much did it sell for in 2014?

a. £2,200

b. £22,000

c. £2.2m

'Girl With Balloon'

Painting by Banksy, 2002

'Girl with Balloon' is a series of stencil murals around London by the graffiti artist Banksy, started in 2002. They depict a young girl with her hand extended toward a red heart-shaped balloon carried away by the wind.

Where is Banksy from?

a. Bristol

b. Birmingham

c. Belfast

'Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – An 80th Birthday Portrait'

Painting by Rolf Harris, 2005

Rolf Harris also painted a portrait of Bonnie Tyler that was valued by BBC 'Antiques Roadshow' at £50,000 in 2011. How much is the painting worth now?

a. About £25,000

b.About £2,500

c. Nothing, the owner burnt it!

'Self Portrait', 2000

Which well known singer songwriter perceives herself as an artist first and musician second?

Here's a quote from her:

"That's one thing that's always, like, been a difference between, like, the performing arts, and being a painter, you know. A painter does a painting, and he paints it, and that's it, you know. He has the joy of creating it, it hangs on a wall, and somebody buys it, and maybe somebody buys it again, or maybe nobody buys it and it sits up in a loft somewhere until he dies. But he never, you know, nobody ever, nobody ever said to Van Gogh, 'Paint a Starry Night again, man!' You know? He painted it and that was it."

a. Joni Mitchell

b. Carole King

c. Carly Simon

Here's a song from her 1977 album 'Blue' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyjcvTjL9Q4

"I am a lonely painter, I live in a box of paints."

FINAL SONG. Here is another song about painting. The YouTube link includes lyrics, to enable a singalong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYFJRomR12k

"If a picture paints a thousand words then why can't I paint you?"