Famous Painting Puns Trivia Quiz

Answer: A starry night

Post Impressionist artist, Vincent van Gogh, was born in the Netherlands in 1853, and, after a lifetime of rejection, poverty and mental illness, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in France, in 1890. He only sold one painting in his lifetime, but today his works are worth millions.

Painted in June, 1889, "The Starry Night" depicts the evening view of the sky from the window of Vincent's room in the asylum at Saint-Remy-de-Provence. It is considered one of his finest works, but I much prefer the majority of his other works. "The Starry Night" is too disturbing. He painted this work during the day time hours and relying on his memory of night. The further back one steps from it, the more it begins to live. There is almost an element of creation about it, with the mighty and unbelievably mobile sky swirling far above the little man made village below. Van Gogh himself preferred the lower part of his work, and in a letter to his brother, Theo, he states that "All in all the only things I consider a little good in it are the Wheatfield, the Mountain, the Orchard, the Olive trees with the blue hills and the Portrait and the Entrance to the quarry, and the rest says nothing to me". It was as though this sad and lonely man had finally given up reaching for the stars.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? No. The sky is just too disturbing. It overpowers the viewer.

Answer: American gothic

Grant Wood lived from 1891 until 1942. He was born in Iowa, USA. After completing high school, he enrolled in an art institution (run by women) for his initial training in various crafts. Working as a teacher for some years in the interim, Wood then enrolled at an art school in Chicago, as well as making several trips to Europe to study various forms of painting. So his apprenticeship into a skill he ultimately mastered was quite considerable. The multi talented Wood was equally skilled at "lithography, ink, charcoal, ceramics, met, wood and found objects" (Wikipedia). He passed away one day short of his 51st birthday, as a result of pancreatic cancer.

"American Gothic" is described as being as famous as Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" and Munch's "The Scream". I dislike both those works quite heartily, and infinitely prefer Wood's work. Featuring a farming couple standing somewhat stoically in front of an old fashioned cottage, and with the man clasping a three pronged pitchfork, many critics interpreted this work as being a satire on the "narrow-mindedness of rural country life" (Wiki), but Wood quite emphatically rejected this interpretation. He saw it instead as a tribute to the pioneering spirit of the nation, and depicting the kind of inhabitants he thought were suitable for that background home. Nor is it the farmer's wife beside him, as many people believe, but, as Wood stated, she is, instead, the farmer's daughter. The painting gives us a sense of endurance, stability, the good old American work ethic, a touch of humour about the farmer's eyes, but determination to his mouth. It speaks of austerity certainly, and a certain rigidity of expected behaviour, but with the family placed at the centre of the background home, it also suggests permanence and security as well. The farmer's daughter, with a far away look in her eyes, looks as though she's worried about something cooking in the oven, but her generous mouth suggests that, given the right incentive, she would be capable of a more than hearty laugh - probably exposing her gums. The models for this work were Wood's sister and, hilariously so, his dentist. Much and all as I like this painting and the farmer himself, I'm not sure I'd want someone with that look of determination about to extract my molar.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? Possibly. It makes me smile - but carefully so, so as not to incur the farmer's disapproval. After all, he IS carrying a pitchfork.

Answer: A woman with a parasol

Claude Monet, looked upon as one of the founders of the French Impressionism style of painting, was born in Paris in 1840, and died in France in 1926. He also believed (along with Winston Churchill and his famous pond) that he could paint the same scene over and over again in order to capture the different moods it evoked throughout the seasons, and the play of light upon it - and accordingly did so with lovely images of his grounds and garden in Giverny, France. When he was in his early forties, Monet bought a large property there and spent years of his life landscaping the grounds with ponds, water lilies, a little bridge, and winding paths through beauty. By then, his painting style was already evolving from his previous traditional, rather heavy and unappealing realistic images, such as the rather ghastly 1866 "The Woman in the Green Dress", to that of delicate impressionism.

I particularly love his "Woman With a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son" painted in 1875, so much so that I have two prints of it on the walls here at home. It depicts a woman with her small son (Monet's wife, Camille, and their son, Jean) out for a stroll on a lovely sunny day. She carries a green parasol and is dressed in white. The breeze is blowing her dress and face veil about her form delicately, along with the grass on the small incline on which she is standing looking down at the viewer. The clouds above her are being pushed gently along by that same breeze. This work seems to capture a perfect moment in time, but because of the effect of the breeze on her lovely dress and veil and surroundings, it's almost as though, if we could step into that lovely work, we would be alive and experiencing that moment with her as it is presently occurring. It is just exquisite.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? I already have. It's absolutely lovely.

Answer: Pearl earrings

Johannes Vermeer lived from 1632 until 1675. Most of this Dutch painter's works have a strongly intimate and cosy domestic theme. Background information on this artist say his paintings, for the most part, feature the same two rooms in his home, with the furniture arranged differently for each one. Additionally, they almost always depict the same people. Vermeer wasn't particularly famous during his lifetime. He died in poverty, leaving behind a wife and eleven living children. Today, however, he is considered "one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age" (Wikipedia). More than anything else perhaps, Vermeer is noted for his breathtaking effects of light in his works.

This is more than evident in the masterpiece "Girl with a Pearl Earring", an astonishingly lovely work. Believed to have been painted about 1665, this painting depicts a young girl, dressed in somewhat exotic clothing and head covering, with a large pearl earring dangling from her left ear. She is positioned facing left but has turned her face towards the viewer, so that the light falls fully upon her. Even discounting the unusual choice of outfit, the impossibly large pearl earring, and the very dark contrasting background, the real beauty of this work is that exquisite light falling on the young girl's face, lips and clothing. It's as though she could step out of her frame and be with us in a heartbeat. "Girl with a Pearl Earring" has been likened by various art experts to a masterpiece equalling that of da Vinci's "Mona Lisa". I think it leaves that work far behind.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? Yes. The effect of light falling on the young girl is perfection in itself.

Answer: Because of the birth of Venus

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was an Italian painter associated with the Florentine School of work. His paintings featured religious and mythological themes, but with a strong and realistic emphasis on the human body and face. Born in Florence, Botticelli spent his entire life in that lovely city. Interestingly a large part of his life was lived in the same street in which resided the famous Amerigo Vespucci family. That family become one of his greatest patrons. Botticelli's real name was actually Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi. He adopted the name Botticelli from a nickname given to his brother, Giovanni. That translates into English as "Little barrel", a shape, comically so, that Botticelli's brother was said to resemble.

Apart from his depiction of the human face, I don't care much for Botticelli's work - or any of the painters from the Renaissance era. Their art is all too heavy, moralistic, and full of death and sin as a rule, and I'd hate to have one hanging on any wall in my home. Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" is lighter than most. With its strong mythological theme, it depicts a nude Venus about to step on shore, from a giant shell, after her birth as a fully developed female. Described as one of the most famous paintings in the world, the god of the wind is blowing on her, and the clothed female on her left, giving a sense of movement to their floating hair and clothing and the long flowing lines of her body. The theme suggests woman in her natural state, unencumbered by societal expectations of rigid behaviour, but even as she is about to step ashore, society, in the form of that clothed female on her left, is about to cover her with the respectability of a cloak. Her face is lovely though (apart from an impossibly long neck) and the lightness of the colours is a refreshing change from other Renaissance art. There is nothing religious about this work, but rather that of Venus (representing woman in her natural state) providing a link between myth and realism.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? No. It's just too predictable and therefore a little boring.

Answer: He was feeling blue

English born Thomas Gainsborough lived from 1727 until 1788. Although he became the most popular portrait artist of his time, he actually preferred paintings landscapes. One of his loveliest works was of his own two daughters, painted in 1759. The skin tones are perfection in itself. A portrait of his wife, with a decided twinkle in her eye, was also added to his folder in the 1770s. Gainsborough had an amazing ability to depict different facial expressions in all his subjects, expressions we've all seen in our daily lives even today. This, coupled with the naturalistic backgrounds and settings of his works, makes his works a delight to the eye.

Although I prefer some of his other works to that of Gainsborough's famous 1779 "The Blue Boy", its appeal to the public is more than understandable. Believed to be the son of a wealthy merchant of the time, this painting shows us a youth wearing the fashion of the previous century, in vivid blue satin, with just a touch of lace around the neck. He stares straight out at us from the canvas, probably a bit annoyed that he has been forced to dress in this attire, hoping that his friends don't tease him about it, but deciding ultimately to brazen it out with all the confidence of young manhood. As with Gainsborough's daughters, the skin tones on the boy's face are exquisite, his hair is let to fall naturally, and the folds of the material in the outfit encompassing his young form are perfect. In one hand he holds a plumed hat - which he probably refused to put on his head - and on his feet he wears slippers adorned with two big blue bows - which probably finished him off completely. "The Blue Boy" is a delightful and very amusing work of art.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? Not really. Apart from appreciating the lovely skin tones of the boy's face, he actually looks as though he needs to lose a little weight!

Answer: A hay wain

John Constable (1776-1837) was an English painter famed for his lovely and nostalgic landscape works. Indeed, the area around his home in Dedham Vale, Suffolk, was included so often in his works that it became known as Constable Country. Constable loved working on sketches from a very young age, but was expected to take over his father's profitable corn business one day. It was only when his younger brother agreed to take on this work that Constable was free to follow his love of the visual art form. He was not, however, a painter of the solitary landscape form, but liked his scenic works to feature aspects of human life as well - man working hand in hand with nature, not oppressing or taking it over, but in happy co-existence instead. Constable never really recovered from the death of his much loved wife, Maria, in 1828, but struggled on rearing their seven children on his own.

Although "Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds", painted in 1825 is probably my favourite Constable painting, it is his equally famous "Hay Wain", painted in 1821, that features in this question. It gives us a rural scene on the river Stour with three horses pulling a large wooden wain across a shallow part of that river. This quite lovely work take the eye into the distance of gently tamed fields before bringing us back to the tree shaded river, the patient horses pulling the wain, and a nearby inviting rural cottage. The serenity and comfort of this work allows us to escape gently into the security and gentle pace of a life long past.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? Definitely. It makes me feel at rest.

Answer: Grey and black

James Abbott McNeill Whistler lived from 1834 until 1903. He was an American artist, born in Massachusetts, but whenever he felt like it, he announced he was born in Russia instead, or described himself as a poor aristocrat from southern America. His personality was decidedly unusual. He was argumentative, moody, downright insulting at times, suffered from bouts of laziness, and was decidedly quick-tempered. Yet he also possessed a deep love of beauty, painting and music, so much so that he was vehemently opposed to the use of moral or didactic messages in any form of art and stated that art must be for art's sake alone. He was the master of tonality in his works and his works display a breath-taking grasp of this technique. His "Symphony in White, No.1: The White Girl", painted in 1862, is quite remarkable in this regard. It's just lovely.

"Whistler's Mother" aka "Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1" is looked upon as an American masterpiece, or, by the more effusive, as another "Mona Lisa". His mother posed for the painting during her time in London with her son. Whistler had wanted to paint her while she was standing, but this proved too tiring, and the chair she sits upon is a delightful substitute of pose. Victorian England at the time objected to Whistler referring to the painting as an arrangement, rather than a portrait, much to his annoyance. One can almost imagine his snort of derision at such sensibilities. So famous has this painting become over time that it's been used in just about every form of medium ever since - in cartoons, in movies, on recruitment posters, in advertisements, copied in statues, and even appeared on postage stamps. And rightly so. It's a true gem.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? Yes, but mostly because it reminds me of a slimmer and old-fashioned version of my mother trying to stay awake during a church service.

Answer: The third of May

Spanish born Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes - known thankfully by the shorter title of Francisco Goya - lived from 1746 until 1828, an impressive long life for the times. This famous painter and printmaker's life bridges two era of art. He is considered to be representative not only the last of the "Old Masters" era, but also the first of the "Modern" era. In his younger days, his works were a lot lighter in tone and presentation, but following a drastic illness in 1793, which made him profoundly deaf, his personality and his works became much darker in nature, and extremely disturbing. The last years of his life were distressing, when paralysed by a stroke on his right side, failing eyesight was also his sorry lot in life.

Goya painted "The Third of May 1808" in 1814 during the period when the subjects of his paintings were the most disturbing. These included images of insanity, insane asylums, disturbing and demon like mythical creatures, and the horrors of war, with the latter theme, described as being the archetypal image of all wars, shown to "perfection" in his "Third of May 1808" work. Portraying Spain's resistance to Napoleonic forces during the Peninsular War, the painting depicts a group of ragged and defeated prisoners about to be executed by their victorious captors. On one side of this work are lined up other condemned captives about to be shot in turn, while to the other a friar is stooping and praying over the bloodied bodies of those previously executed. All above and around these figures, the darkest of night presses down upon them.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? Not in a million years. I think the subject matter is absolutely ghastly.

Answer: The night watch

Rembrandt, as he is crisply known, was born Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn in the Netherlands in 1606 and died there in that country in 1669. He was a draughtsman, painter and printmaker, but known today more than anything else for his prolific outpouring on canvas. His subject matters covered every aspect of life from his time - portraits, landscapes, still life, historical themes, biblical themes, social, mythological and even animal topics. Perhaps, with his amazing ability to work quickly and cover so very much in his work, Rembrandt could be likened to the musical genius and output of Mozart. For the most part (definitely not all though), his art is rather jolly at times, particularly his portraits. They tend to make one smile, particularly his self-portraits depicting his somewhat bulbous nose. That ability to show life as it was in its sometimes unflattering reality is Rembrandt's greatest gift to posterity. It lives for us even all these centuries later.

Rembrandt's 1642 painting "The Night Watch" is known by two other much longer titles, but thankfully its most famous is the shorter version. This work is known for three things in particular. These are its enormous size (11.91 feet by 14.34 feet), its impressive of light and shadow, and, because of the positioning and stances of the subjects within, its ability to portray motion. It depicts a company of men, led by their captain and his vertically challenged lieutenant, about to exit the canvas on an expedition accompanied by drum and light-heartedness and a goblet or two of ale. Rembrandt has slyly added a touch of humour to this work by placing a woman carrying a plucked chook. This image of course is said to be representative of various themes in the work, but one imagines Rembrandt still had a chuckle placing her in there.

Would I hang this on a wall in my home? I can't make up my mind to be honest. Although I don't mind Rembrandt's work, I don't care for the theme of this one. It's interesting because there's so much to see in it, but when I look at art in my home, I want to feel uplifted and happy, or inspired - not worried about whether a hen had had a merciful dispatch or not.