Art Flashcards

A review of prominent artists and their works. This deck is sure to make you feel much more knowledgeable on your next museum visit! Special thanks to the International Business Times, Wikipedia, and The Guardian for sharing your cultural knowledge with us! (63 cards)

1
Q

Which Spanish artist of the painting Guernica co-inspired the Cubist Movement?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Pablo Picasso

(1881-1973)

A painter and sculptor of the 19th and 20th centuries, Picasso is best known as a co-founder of the Cubist movement and for the diverse styles he explored.

His major works include Guernica, an anti-war mural as depicted on the Question card, and Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.

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2
Q

Which Italian Renaissance artist painted The Mona Lisa?

Credit: Wikimedia

Polymath: a person of wide knowledge and learning.

A

Leonardo Da Vinci

(1452-1519)

A 15th- and 16th-century Italian Renaissance polymath, Da Vinci is considered the archetypical Renaissance Man for his diverse talents and interests in the arts and sciences.

His major works include the paintings The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and the drawing The Vetruvian Man.

The Mona Lisa is shrouded in mystery even today. People speculate as to who the woman in the painting was, and what her faint smile might mean.

The painting was once stolen, but was recovered in the early 1900s.

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3
Q

Which fresco painting by Leonardo da Vinci depicts Jesus Christ sitting down to a meal with his disciples?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

The Last Supper

(1498)

This is a fresco painting on the wall of a monastery in Milan, Italy, depicting Christ’s Last Supper with his disciples (including Judas, who would soon betray him).

Fun fact: The meal was actually a Passover seder. (Jesus was Jewish.)

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4
Q

Which American artist and painter of Campbell’s Soup Cans was a leading figure of the Pop Art Movement?

Credit: Flickr
A

Andy Warhol

(1928-1987)

Warhol’s major works include the film Chelsea Girls and the painting Campbell’s Soup Cans.

Although he was of Slovakian descent, being born to Slovak immigrant parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is widely recognized as an American artist because he spent most of his life in the United States and had a significant impact on the American art scene.

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5
Q

Which Italian artist painted The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Michelangelo

(1475-1564)

A 15th- and 16th-century Italian sculptor, painter, and architect, Michelangelo was also known for the sculptures David and Pieta, and for redesigning Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

He is considered a Renaissance Man, rivaled only by Leonardo da Vinci, excelling in a variety of artistic disciplines.

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6
Q

Which 20th-century Mexican painter was best known for her self-portraits and feminist messaging?

Credit: Flickr
A

Frida Kahlo

(1907-1954)

Kahlo was famously married to fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Her work is praised for its nationalistic and feminist undertones.

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7
Q

Which French Post-Impressionist artist was known for using small, repetitive brushstrokes to compose larger, more complex pictures?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

​Paul Cézanne

(1839-1906)

Cézanne’s major works include Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from Bellevue, The Card Players, The Bathers, and The Basket of Apples.

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8
Q

What’s the name of Michaelangelo’s famous statue, which now stands in the Accademia Gallery of Florence, Italy?

A

Statue of David

(1504)

David was a figure in the Bible who, as a young boy, defeated a giant named Goliath with a slingshot.

There had been other statues of David before this, but Michelangelo’s was the first in which David was not in action.

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9
Q

Which Spanish Surrealist artist is best known for his bizarre imagery like long-legged elephants and melting clocks?

Credit: Flickr
A

Salvador Dali

(1904-1989)

Dali’s major works include The Persistence of Memory (as shown on the Question card), famously depicting melting clocks, and Swans Reflecting Elephants.

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10
Q

Which Norwegian artist painted The Scream?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Edvard Munch

(1863-1944)

Considered a Symbolist, this 19th- and 20th-century Norwegian painter and printmaker dealt with psychological themes in his artwork, The Scream being one of his most celebrated pieces.

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11
Q

From what large mural is this depiction of God creating Adam?

A

The Sistine Chapel

(1512)

The Sistine Chapel is composed of a series of paintings in fresco on the ceiling of the chapel and are interpretations of nine Bible stories, all from the Book of Genesis.

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12
Q

Which 20th-century American photographer is best known for her work documenting Depression-era workers for the Farm Security Administration?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Dorothea Lange

(1895-1965)

Lange’s most famous picture, Migrant Mother, has become synonymous with the Great Depression.

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13
Q

Which French artist of the painting Water Lilies is considered the founder of Impressionism?

Credit: Rawpixel
A

Claude Monet

(1840-1926)

Monet’s major works also include Impression Sunrise (as shown on the Question card). His art is appreciated most from a distance as every detail comes together from a certain angle.

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14
Q

Which Dutch Post-Impressionist artist, who worked with bold colors and emotional honesty, painted The Starry Night?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Vincent van Gogh

(1853-1890)

Van Gogh’s work was only appreciated posthumously after his early death (thought to be a suicide).

His major works include The Starry Night (as shown on the Question card), Sunflowers, and Bedroom in Arles.

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15
Q

Which French Post-Impressionist developed the pointillism technique: the practice of applying small strokes or dots of paint that, from a distance, visually blend together to form a picture?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

​Georges Seurat

(1859-1891)

Seurat’s major works include Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (as shown on the Question card), and Parade de Cirque.

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is a famous example of pointillism, a type of artwork created by making small dots on the canvas that eventually form a cohesive image. The painting took Seurat two years to complete.

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16
Q

What artwork, depicting two people draped in gold robes and kissing, is considered Austrian artist Gustav Klimt’s most famous work?

A

The Kiss

(1909)

This oil painting is considered Klimt’s most famous work and is an early example of the modern art movement.

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17
Q

Which Dutch artist painted the enormous 180 ft² (16.7 m²) artwork The Night Watch?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Rembrandt

(1606-1669)

A Dutch painter and etcher of the 17th century, Rembrandt is best known for his portraits, self-portraits, and illustrations of scenes from the Bible.

He was was a prominent member of the Dutch Golden Age, whose major works include Danae and Night Watch.

The Night Watch (as shown on the Question card) is famous for its large size, almost 12 feet (4 m) by 15 feet (5 m).

It is also famous for its use of light and shadow to depict the important figures of the piece and the atypical positions of the subjects.

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18
Q

Which French sculptor, whose famous works include The Walking Man, is credited as the founder of modern sculpture?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Auguste Rodin

(1840-1917)

A 19th- and 20th-century French sculptor, Rodin’s other major works include The Walking Man, The Burghers of Calais, and The Thinker.

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19
Q

Which French visual artist, who painted Woman with a Hat, was widely regarded as the greatest colorist of the 20th century, rivalling Pablo Picasso in the importance of his art?

Credit: Wikipedia/SFMOMA
A

Henri Matisse

(1869-1954)

Matisse helped define modernism in the 20th century, and his major works include Woman with a Hat and The Dance.

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20
Q

Considered one of a trio of Renaissance masters including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, which 16th-century artist painted The School of Athens?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Raphael

(1483-1520)

The School of Athens (as shown on the Question card) has come to symbolize the marriage of art, philosophy, and science that was a hallmark of the Italian Renaissance.

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21
Q

Which Irish-born British artist, whose works include Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, is known for his use of raw, unsettling imagery?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Francis Bacon

(1909-1992)

Bacon’s art typically depicted figures trapped in geometrical cages set against flat backgrounds. Another of his major works is Study for a Self-Portrait - Triptych.

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22
Q

Which Dutch Baroque Period artist painted Girl with a Pearl Earring?

A

Johannes Vermeer

(1632-1675)

This painting, sometimes dubbed “The Mona Lisa of the North,” is infamous for its mystery. Experts still speculate on the subject of the work and what the subject’s relationship to Vermeer may have been.

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23
Q

Which Spanish painter and printmaker of works like La Maja Desnuda and Black Paintings, was known for his dark colors and honest depictions?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

Francisco Goya

(1746-1828)

Goya was also famous for the Disasters of War, a series of eighty-two etchings done between 1810 and 1820.

It was inspired by the violence that Goya witnessed during the Spanish War of Independence (1808-1814).

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24
Q

Which French artist of Bal du moulin de la Galette was a driver of the Impressionist movement, known for his portrayals of feminine sensuality?

Credit: Wikimedia
A

​Pierre-Auguste Renoir

(1841-1919)

19th- And 20th-century French painter Renoir’s major works include Bal du moulin de la Galette, Nude, and Luncheon of the Boating Party.

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25
What **iconic painting of a goddess** is Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli best known for?
The Birth of Venus | (1486) ## Footnote This painting was commissioned by the Medici family. It has been widely considered to be an iconic representation of the mythical figure, Venus, and a symbol of love and beauty.
26
Which **modern American artist** is best known for her large-canvas, close-up paintings of blossoms and New York City buildings?
Georgia O'Keeffe | (1887-1986) ## Footnote O'Keeffe's major works include *Blue and Green Music*, *Pineapple Bud*, *Ram's Head White Hollyhock*, and *Little Hills*.
27
What's the name of artist **Grant Wood's famous 1930 painting**, which depicts a rural American man and woman standing in front of a house?
American Gothic | (1930) ## Footnote This painting is most famous for its many parodies in pop culture. The man and woman in the picture are meant to be father and daughter, but were actually modeled after Wood's sister and dentist.
28
Which **French artist** of *The Bellelli Family* is considered a founder of Impressionism (alongside Claude Monet); although he preferred to be called a Realist?
Edgar Degas | (1834-1917) ## Footnote A French artist of the 19th- and 20th-centuries, Degas is usually associated with the depiction of dancers and movement in general. His major works include *The Bellelli Family* and *Woman with Chrysanthemums*.
29
Which **American modern artist** is known for his unique style of flinging paint from his brush in *controlled splashes* onto the canvas, which he would place on his studio floor?
Jackson Pollock | (1912-1956) ## Footnote Pollock is best known as a major figure in the Abstract Expressionst movement. *Lavender Mist* (as shown on the Question card) is one of Pollock's most famous drip and splatter works. Interestingly, the painting contains no lavender, but nevertheless seems to radiate the color.
30
Which **Russian artist** of works like *Gelb-Rot-Bleu*, is credited as the first painter of purely abstract forms?
Wassily Kandinsky | (1866-1944) ## Footnote Kandinsky's major works include *On White II*, *Der Blaue Reiter*, and *Gelb-Rot-Blau*.
31
Which **20th-century American photographer** is famous for his *large-scale, black-and-white photographs* of the American wilderness, in places like Yosemite National Park?
Ansel Adams | (1902-1984) ## Footnote Adams was born in San Francisco in 1902 and was considered one of the most important landscape photographers of the 20th century. His technical mastery led him to consult for Polaroid and Hasselblad to improve their equipment.
32
Which **Italian sculptor** of *Apollo and Daphne* is considered the era's greatest Baroque sculptor, and a pioneer of the style?
Gian Lorenzo Bernini | (1598-1680) ## Footnote Bernini's other major works include *The Rape of Proserpina* and *Ecstasy of Saint Theresa*.
33
What's the **name of Auguste Rodin's** famous bronze cast statue, depicting a man *deeply in thought?*
The Thinker | (1902) ## Footnote This bronze cast statue actually has many copies, and is believed to represent Dante at the gates of Hell (from *The Divine Comedy*). Originally, the work was to be named *The Poet*, but the foundry workers called it *The Thinker* and that name stuck.
34
Which **Crete-born Spanish artist** of the painting *View of Toledo* was at times considered a Mannerist, a style that prioritizes self-conscious artifice, rather than realistic depiction?
El Greco | (1541-1614) ## Footnote This 16th- and 17th-century sculptor, painter, and architect married Byzantine and Western styles in his work. El Greco's major works include *El Expolio*, *View of Toledo*, and *Opening of the Fifth Seal*.
35
Which **Italian architect and engineer** is considered a founding father of Renaissance architecture, and is credited with the discovery of *perspective?*
Filippo Brunelleschi | (1377-1446) ## Footnote In 1421, Brunelleschi became the first person to receive a patent in the Western world. His most celebrated work is the engineering of the Duomo (as shown on the Question card) in Florence.
36
Which **English architect** designed *St. Paul's Cathedral* in London?
Sir Christopher Wren | (1632-1723) ## Footnote 17th- and 18th-century architect, Sir Christopher Wren is best known as the architect of *St. Paul's Cathedral* (as shown on the Question card) but his first love was science and mathematics. The Royal Observatory at Greenwich, which he designed, combines both aspects of his work: astronomy and architecture
37
What is the **name** of this famous work of art by *Diego Velazquez?*
Las Meninas | (1656) ## Footnote The scene depicts members of the Spanish court, but also incorporates elements of intrigue. In the background, Velazquez himself can be seen painting. The reflection of the King and Queen are also shown in the mirror to his left. This painting is one of the most famous and most analyzed in all of Western art.
38
Which **19th and 20th century architect** is widely considered the greatest American architect of all time?
Frank Lloyd Wright | (1867-1959) ## Footnote Wright popularized the notion of organic architecture: designing buildings that are in harmony with their environments. His major works include the *Robie House*, *Falling Water*, and the *Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum*.
39
Which **Chinese-born American architect** designed such famous structures as *the Louvre Pyramid*, the *Bank of China Tower*, and the *John F. Kennedy Library?*
I.M. Pei | (1917-2019) ## Footnote Pei is considered a master of modern architecture.
40
Which **American landscape architect** designed Central Park and Prospect Park in New York City?
Frederick Law Olmsted | (1822-1903) ## Footnote Olmsted also played a major part in the designing and building of the country's first and oldest coordinated system of public parks and parkways, and America’s oldest state park, Niagara Reservation in Niagara Falls, New York.
41
Which **Edo period Japanese artist** created *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*, a famous woodblock print?
Katsushika Hokusai | (1760 - 1849) ## Footnote Katsushika Hokusai is a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter, and printmaker of the Edo period who's best known for his wood block print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. *The Great Wave off Kanagawa* (as shown on the Question card) is one of these woodblock prints and depicts a great wave with Mount Fuji in the background.
42
Which **20th-century Mexican painter** was known for his murals like *Man, Controller of the Universe*, and inspired the Mexican Mural Movement?
​​Diego Rivera | (1886-1957) ## Footnote Rivera was famously married to fellow Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Another of his major works was *Detroit Industry*.
43
Which **French sculptor** designed the *Statue of Liberty?*
Frederic Bartholdi | (1834-1904)
44
Which **American cartoonist and producer** created *The Simpsons* TV show?
Matt Groening | (1954-)
45
Which **American cartoonist** created the *Peanuts* comic strip?
Charles Schulz | (1922-2000)
46
Which **American animator, cartoonist, and director** created the *Looney Tunes* characters during the Golden Age of Hollywood Animation?
Tex Avery | (1908-1980) ## Footnote Avery created Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, two of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time.
47
Which **two American directors** made popular animated shows that included *The Flintstones*, *Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!*, and *The Jetsons?*
1. William Hanna 2. Joseph Barbera
48
Which **American film producer and director** created the character *Mickey Mouse?*
Walt Disney | (1901-1966)
49
Which **American artist** is known for his cover illustrations of *The Saturday Evening Post* magazine, depicting ultra-realistic scenes of everyday life?
Norman Rockwell | (1894-1978) ## Footnote Rockwell's major works include the *Willie Gillis* series, *The Problem We All Live With*, and the *Four Freedoms* series.
50
**Made from woven fabric**, what material is used as a foundation for painting?
canvas
51
What type of paint is made from **a polymer mixture and pigment**?
acrylic ## Footnote This fast-drying, water soluble paint was first used in the 1930s.
52
What type of paint is made from a blend of, typically, **linseed oil and pigment**?
oil paint ## Footnote This slow-drying, water soluble paint has been a popular medium since the 600s.
53
What type of paint makes use of a **water-based solution** to transfer color to the canvas or page?
watercolor paint ## Footnote This is a water-soluble paint made from pigment and a water-based solvent. A binder is added to ensure the pigment adheres to the surface. Other additives may also be used to alter the characteristics of the paint, such as viscosity.
54
Which **style of art** originated around 1600 in Rome and was characterized by *grandeur, movement, drama, and emotional expression,* as seen in the paintings, architecture, music, and sculptures of the time.
Baroque ## Footnote From 1600, the Baroque style grew in success and popularity for most of the next two centuries, while receiving support from the Catholic church. **Example on the Question card:** *The Triumph of the Immaculate* (1710-1715) by Paolo de Matteis.
55
Which **art period** took place from **1750-1850**, and was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art?
Neoclassical ## Footnote **Example on the Question card:** *Nicolaus Copernicus Monument* (1822-1830) by Bertel Thorvaldsen.
56
Which **art movement** took place from **1780-1850**, and emphasized the expression and depiction of human emotion? ## Footnote Landscapes and scenes of nature were also popular.
Romanticism ## Footnote Landscapes and other nature scenes were also common during this period. **Example on the Question card:** *The Voyage of Life: Childhood* (1842) by Thomas Cole.
57
What **art movement** between **1848 and 1900** opposed *Romanticism* by depicting subjects as they were seen, without exaggeration?
Realism ## Footnote Subjects were painted as they were seen, without the type of exaggeration seen in Romantic works. Realist paintings tackled everyday, sometimes unpleasant subject matter. **Example on the Question card:** *Nocturne: Blue and Gold — Old Battersea Bridge* (c. 1872–1875) by James McNeill Whistler.
58
Which **art movement** took place from **1865-1885**, and is characterized by free brush strokes rather than deliberate lines?
Impressionism ## Footnote Impressionist works are commonly painted outdoors, or "en plein air," and include landscapes, portraits, and outdoor scenes. **Example on the Question card:** *Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son* (1875) by Claude Monet.
59
Which **art movement** took place from **1900-1935**, and depicted emotion in a distorted, exaggerated way?
Expressionism ## Footnote Expressionist works can be characterized as abstract, jarring, and even unsettling to look at. **Example on the Question card:** *Nollendorfplatz* (1912) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
60
Co-founded by Pablo Picasso, which **art movement** of **1905 to 1920** depicted subjects composed of geometric shapes, sometimes rearranged?
Cubism ## Footnote Pablo Picasso was one of the founders of the cubist movement. **Example on the Question card:** *Portrait* (1915) by Jeanne Rij-Rousseau.
61
Which **art movement** took place from **1917-1950**, is characterized by dream-like, illogical subjects and scenes?
Surrealism ## Footnote **Example on the Question card:** *Marks* (2012) by Nadir M. García.
62
Which **art movement** took place from **1940 - 1960** and was developed by American painters such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning in the 1940s and 1950s?
Abstract Expressionism ## Footnote Abstract expressionism is the term applied to new forms of abstract art and is often characterised by gestural brush-strokes or mark-making, and the impression of spontaneity. **Example on the Question card:** *The Gate* (1959) by Hans Hofmann (as shown on the Answer card).
63
Which **art movement** emerged during the **late 1950s and early 1960s** and incorporated commercial pop culture imagery such as logos and comic strip styles in its works?
Pop Art ## Footnote Famous artists of this genre include Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. **Example on the Question card:** *Drowning Girl* (1963) by Roy Lichtenstein.