Another Collage of Painters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pointillism

Pointillist painting is made up of tiny dots of colour which look rather strange from close up, but from a distance the eye joins them and there is a shimmering effect. George Seurat and Paul Signac broke away from the impressionists and developed this technique in 1886.

The name pointillism was first used by a critic in mockery of the style, but it is used today without any thought of irony.

Answer: Rose

From 1904-1906 Picasso painted in more cheerful colours using a lot of orange and pink. It was a marked contrast with his previous work which used sombre tones of blue. At this time he was happy with his partner Fernande Olivier and it has been suggested that this may have prompted his change of colour palette.

Answer: Jacques Louis David

Jacques Louis David was a supporter of the French revolution and painted a remarkable picture of the death of Marat when he was stabbed in his bath by Charlotte Corday. He was a friend of Robespierre and was imprisoned after Robespierre fell from power.

When he came out he aligned himself to Napoleon Bonaparte and painted several dashing portraits of him, and a picture of his coronation.

Answer: Marc Chagall

In 1963 Marc Chagall was asked to paint the ceiling of the Paris Opera House (Palais Garnier). The choice of painter caused a lot of controversy as some people objected to a Russian Jew painting such an iconic French building. Others did not feel that the modern style of his painting was suitable for the historic opera house. It took the 77 year old man a year to complete the project.

Answer: The Glutton

La Goulue was the stage name of Louise Weber who was a star at the Moulin Rouge and was given the nickname because she was inclined to drink the patrons' drinks. 'Moulin Rouge: La Goulue' is a lithograph that Henri Toulouse Lautrec designed as a poster to advertise the Moulin Rouge.

This was his first lithograph and was immediately popular for its bright colours and Japanese influenced style. Three thousand copies of the poster were spread around Paris.

Answer: Horses and racecourses

More than half of Edgar Degas work depicts dancers. This may have been because he was especially interested in capturing movement, and was very good at this. His paintings of horses and race courses were another opportunity to display this talent. Degas is often considered one of the founding impressionists, but he himself disliked the term and preferred to call himself a realist.

Answer: Hans Holbein the Younger

After the death of Jane Seymour the court was urging King Henry to marry again. Anne was a German princess and Holbein was despatched to paint a likeness of her for Henry to see. Henry liked the picture but when Anne came to England in person he was very disappointed, and described her as looking like 'a great Flanders mare'.

He still married Anne to form a political alliance with her brother Prince William of Cleves, but the marriage was dissolved some months later. Hans Holbein lived on to paint many more pictures.

His most famous 'The Ambassadors' hangs in the National Gallery in London and is noted for the skull in the foreground which can only be seen from a certain angle.

Answer: Dutch

Vermeer painted many interior domestic scenes. He was only moderately successful during his lifetime and on his death his family were left with debts. Part of the reason for his lack of funds was that he painted very slowly, completing fewer than fifty pictures in total, and used expensive materials. His pictures have a wonderful quality of peace and stillness.

Answer: Gwen John

August and Gwen were born in Tenby, Pembrokeshire in the U.K. There were three siblings, Augustus was the younger son and Gwen was his older sister. Both Augustus and Gwen lived most of their lives in France. During their lifetime Augustus was considered the greater artist and Gwen was somewhat in his shadow, but appreciation of her work has grown a great deal since her death in 1939.

Answer: Whistler's Mother

James McNeill Whistler was an American artist who lived most of his life in the U.K. His signature on his paintings was unusual because it was in the shape of a butterfly. Whistler's paintings have a very delicate touch and he was a master of the use of white.