10 Paintings: Renaissance Masters Quiz

Answer: Bacchus

"Bacchus and Ariadne" (1522-23) is based on the myth of Bacchus, the god of wine, and Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos. In the myth, Bacchus falls in love with Ariadne after she helps Theseus defeat the monster known as the Minotaur. The painting captures the moment when Bacchus, riding on a chariot drawn by two cheetahs, arrives on the island of Naxos to be with Ariadne.

The use of bright colors, such as the red and golden robes of Bacchus, emphasizes the joyful and celebratory nature of the scene.

Answer: Tintoretto

Tintoretto used a different composition style for his painting. Instead of the traditional arrangement of Jesus and the disciples sitting at a table, Tintoretto's painting shows the disciples in a more dramatic pose, with some standing and others reaching out. This gives the painting a sense of movement and excitement, which was unusual for Last Supper paintings of that time period.

Tintoretto also used light and color differently than other artists. He created a dramatic contrast between the dark background and the bright light illuminating the scene, giving the painting a powerful and emotional impact.

Answer: friar

The life of Filippo Lippi, who some refer to as the "drunk monk," is the stuff of fiction. After quitting work at a monastery, he was rumored to have been captured by Barbary pirates, and only his worth as a skilled painter allowed him to be set free. While under the commission of Cosimo de' Medici, the banker locked Lippi up in a room so that he would actually finish his paintings. Lippi escaped by making a rope out bedsheets.

Later in life, the friar met a nun at the monastery chapel of S. Margherita, where he wished to paint her. The monastery refused, so he took off with the woman and brought her to his home, where the two sired a son.

"Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a Casement" likely features a couple betrothed and soon to be married. There is a lettering featured on the woman's sleeve that spells "lealta," or "faithful" in Italian.

Answer: foreshortening

Andrea Mantegna used foreshortening to create a dramatic and intense feeling in the painting. Foreshortening is a technique in which an object or body part is depicted as closer to the viewer than it actually is, making it appear larger and distorted.

In this painting, Mantegna used foreshortening to elongate the legs and arms of Christ, emphasizing his anguish and heightening the emotional impact of the scene.

Answer: chess

The subjects for "The Chess Game" are believed to be the artist's sisters, Lucia, Minerva and Europa Anguissola. They are playing chess as a demonstration of their education and intellectual pursuits, as well as to show the value placed on female education during the Renaissance. By painting women engaging in such a traditionally male pastime, Anguissola was pushing against the societal norms of her time and challenging the gender roles of her era.

Answer: a fish

"The Tribute Money" by Masaccio is located in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy. It depicts a scene from the New Testament, in which Christ and his disciples are approached by a tax collector who demands they pay the temple tax. When one of the disciples says they don't have the money, Christ tells him to catch a fish from the sea, and inside the fish's mouth, he will find a coin to pay the tax. One can see the disciple next to a body of water on the left side of the painting.

It is considered one of Masaccio's most important works, as it showcases his skill in creating lifelike and naturalistic figures.

Answer: a doge of Venice

Giovanni Bellini painted the "Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan" as a commission for the doge, who was the leader of the Republic of Venice. The portrait is considered one of Bellini's masterpieces, and it is notable for its lifelike depiction of the doge, as well as its subtle use of light and color.

The painting was intended to serve both as a representation of the doge's physical appearance and as a symbol of his political and social authority.

Answer: Flagellation of Christ

If you look carefully at the background on the left side, you can see a Roman soldier holding a whip with which he performs the flagellation. The figures in the scene seem to be paying no attention to what is happening behind them. Most art historians agree that the three figures are Oddantonio da Montefeltro, (who was the Duke of Urbino), and his advisers Manfredo dei Pio and Tommaso di Guido dell'Agnello.

Some others have argued that the figures represent more intangible elements such as the past, present, and future.

Answer: Florentine

The Battle of San Romano took place in 1432 near the town of San Romano, Italy. The battle was fought between the Florentine army and the forces of the neighboring city of Siena, and it was a significant moment in the power struggles between the cities of Renaissance Italy. The painting captures the chaotic nature of medieval battle, with its detailed and realistic depictions of horses, armor, weapons, and the movements of the soldiers.

The Uffizi Gallery is located in Florence, Italy.

Answer: Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is famous for its ceiling painted by Michelangelo, which features scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the famous "Creation of Adam". In addition to Michelangelo's masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel also houses several other important works of art, including "The Last Judgment" on the altar wall, also painted by Michelangelo, as well as several frescoes by other Renaissance artists such as Sandro Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio. "The Delivery of the Keys" by Pietro Perugino is also located in the Sistine Chapel, and it depicts St. Peter receiving the keys to heaven from Jesus, symbolizing the authority of the Catholic Church.