Art History Experts Know All of the Images in This Quiz — Do You?

By: Gavin Thagard
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Art History Experts Know All of the Images in This Quiz — Do You?
Image: Wiki Commons by bgEuwDxel93-Pg at Google Cultural Institute, Museum of Modern Art

About This Quiz

Lines, shapes, color palettes, themes, and motifs: a lot goes into a work of art to take it from being just another painting or sculpture to being a piece of world history that should be respected and studied, but what does make it into the latter category certainly has a way of drawing our attention and interest. How well do you know some of history's greatest works of art? Here's a quiz where you can find out. 

Even if the field wasn't defined, the study of art has been around as long as the practice itself. In fact, as soon as artwork is produced, it's already being critiqued by its viewers, giving everyone a level of responsibility when it comes to art and the artist. After all, it's typically art that draws the most attention that finds its way into the pages of history books, as those works have a way of changing our perception of what moves us and how art relates to life.

Are you ready to test out your art history knowledge by identifying both classical and contemporary pieces? Can you name the work of Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and post-impressionists like Vincent van Gogh, along with many more?

When you're done being a critic and ready to take on the role of a historian, get started with this quiz on the most important works in art history! 

9 quinten massys The Moneylender and His Wife
Wiki Commons by Sailko
Can you name this painting that came from Antwerp's leading master in the 1500s?
The French Ambassadors
Locked Up Their Minds
Netherlandish Proverbs
Money-Changer and His Wife
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Money-Changer and His Wife," created by Quinten Massys, can be viewed in the light of early developments in capitalism. The painting shows how Christian society in the Netherlands began to ignore their religious duties for earthly pleasures.

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16 Van Gogh Starry Night
Wiki Commons by The Getty Center, Object 826
Painted from an asylum room at Saint-Remy-de-Provence, what's this painting known as?
Landscape with Clerks Studying Astronomy and Geometry
Astronomy
The Starry Night
Wheatfield with Crows
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vincent van Gogh painted "Starry Night" only a year before the early death of the talented artist. He died in 1890 of a self-inflected gunshot wound to the chest, which he initially survived only to later die of infection.

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2 810px-Edvard_Munch_-_The_Scream_-_Google_Art_Project
Wiki Commons by Google Art Project, Edvard Munch
Do you recognize this painting that was stolen from the Oslo National Gallery in 1994?
Anxiety
The Scream
Jealousy
Vampire
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Scream" represents Edvard Munch's attempt to project the emotions associated with death and love. In the art piece, the viewer can feel the emotions tied to the scream as it morphs the world around the skeletal figure emitting it.

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18 Napoleon at the Pesthouse at Jaffa
Wiki Commons by Musee du Louvre
A painting created by Antoine-Jean Gros, this oil on canvas painting is referred to as what?
Napoleon at the Pesthouse at Jaffa
Family of Charles IV
Third of May
727
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Trying to gain the favor of the ruler of France, Antoine-Jean Gros painted "Napoleon at the Pesthouse at Jaffa" as a mythic tale of Napoleon Bonaparte during the height of his reign. The painting depicts an incident where a disease decimated part of Napoleon's army during the Near Eastern campaigns.

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21 Birth of Venus Sandro_Botticelli_046
Wiki Commons by Sandro Botticelli
Little is known about the origin of this painting other than its artist, Sandro Botticelli. Do you know its title?
The Raft of the Medusa
Apollo and Daphne
The Triumph of Virtue
Birth of Venus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most art historians believe that "Birth of Venus" was commissioned by the Medici family, a wealthy Italian family known for their love of art. Works like this became controversial because of their association with worldly pleasures, evident by the wealth the Medici family had acquired.

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40 Gustave Caillebotte Paris A Rainy Day
Wiki Commons by Helms
Capturing the transition of city life, can you recall the name of this Impressionist painting by Gustave Caillebotte?
La Place du Theatre Francais
Paris: A Rainy Day
Metropolis
The Goodbye to Hamburg
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By 1877, when "Paris: A Rainy Day" was finished, the city of Paris had gone through a major transitional period. Under Napoleon III, Paris was largely remodeled to accommodate the growing population in the city, which had reached nearly 1.5 million residents.

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3 The_Last_Supper_pre_EUR
Wiki Commons by Leonardo da Vinci
This mural by Leonardo da Vinci can be found in the Santa Maria delle Grazie. What's it called?
The Last Judgement
Transfiguration
The Calling of St Matthew
Last Supper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "Last Supper," Leonardo da Vinci captures the moment where Christ tells his followers that one of them will betray him. Because of the materials used on the painting where he applied pigments to dry plaster, preserving it has been difficult over the years, and the work is in poor condition today.

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4 Johannes_Vermeer_-_The_Girl_With_The_Pearl Earring
Wiki Commons by Johannes Vermeer
Can you identify this oil painting that was created by Johannes Vermeer during the Dutch Golden Age?
The Milkmaid
The Lacemaker
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Study of a Young Woman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Girl with a Pearl Earring" demonstrates Johannes Vermeer's mastery of light, which is shown to be hitting the girl from her left. The light provides a softness to her face and illuminates the large pearl earring she wears.

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36 The Thankful Poor
Wiki Commons by Henry Ossawa Tanner
Do you know the name of this art piece that captures the life of ordinary people?
The Young Sabot Maker
He Healed the Sick
The Holy Family
The Thankful Poor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Part of the Realism movement of the late-19th century,"The Thankful Poor" moved away from artwork that only followed the lives of the higher classes of society. Using contrasting shadows, the painting shows the deep concentration of the older man against the thankful expression of the younger boy.

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5 Sunrise over the Eastern Sea
Wiki Commons by Fujishima Takeji
Influenced by early 20th century French art, what Japanese painting is this?
Reminiscence of the Tempyo Era
Black Fan
Sunrise over the Eastern Sea
The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fujishima Takeji produced "Sunrise Over the Eastern Sea" after receiving a commission to provide a decorative piece for the Showa Emperor's study. Since the commission was coming at the beginning of the emperor's accession, Takeji decided to rely on the sunrise as an inspiration.

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6 Gustav Klimt the kiss
Wiki Commons by Google Art Project, Gustav Klimt
Created during Gustav Klimt's "Golden Period," do you know the name of this painting?
Danae
Death and Life
The Maiden
The Kiss
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gustav Klimt painted "The Kiss" after receiving criticism for his three part series "Klimt University of Vienna Ceiling Paintings," which was viewed as pornographic. "The Kiss," on the other hand, was well received, becoming his most popular work.

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25 Liberty Leading the People
Wiki Commons by Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada
Can you identify this artwork that shows both the horrors and necessity of the French Revolution of 1830?
Departure of the Volunteers of 1792
Women of Algiers
Liberty Leading the People
The Massacre of Chios
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Eugene Delacroix used Romantic feelings associated with the early-19th century to tell both classical and contemporary stories with his art. "Liberty Leading the People" is an example of a contemporary event, where he was able to capture Liberty in an allegorical manner as she leads a charge forward.

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39 John Everett Millais Ophelia
Wiki Commons by John Everett Millais
This painting depicts the subject of a Shakespearean play. Do you know its title?
Ophelia
Beata Beatrix
Mariana
The Blind Girl
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Everett Millais was obsessed with the visual reality that can be found in nature, recording every detail he possibly could. In "Ophelia," this style is evident as Millais brings a fictional story to life.

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29 Joseph Wright A Philosopher Giving a Lecture at the Orrery
Wiki Commons by europeana.eu
Joseph Wright was influenced by the Scientific Revolution in this piece of art known as what?
Still Life in Studio
A Philosopher Giving a Lecture at the Orrery
The French Ambassadors
Building More Stately Mansions
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Scientific Revolution was at its height in the 18th century, influencing both thought and art around the world. Using science as a theme and dramatic candlelight, Joseph Wright shows how the planets revolve around the sun in "A Philosopher Gives a Lecture at the Orrery."

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35 The_Hunters_in_the_Snow
Wiki Commons by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Pieter Bruegel uses his mastery of landscapes to create this work known as what?
The Magpie
Hunters in the Snow
The Fox Hunt
Netherlandish Proverbs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A master of contrasting styles, particularly landscapes, Pieter Bruegel shows the changing of seasons with his "Hunter in the Snow," which is part of a series of six paintings from the artist. In the painting, Bruegel is able to capture a deep view of the landscape through his use of line and shape.

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20 Goya Third of May, 1808
Wiki Commons by The Prado in Google Earth
Are you able to identify this work that depicts a Spanish massacre?
Rue Transnonain
The Nightmare
Echo I
Third of May, 1808
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By 1808, Spanish citizens were tired of their new French occupiers, leading to a deadly clash between the citizens and the French soldiers. When the rebellion was finally suppressed, the French soldiers executed unarmed civilians, which is shown in Goya's "Third of May, 1808."

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11 Creation_of_Adam_Michelangelo
Wiki Commons by Michelangelo
One of the most important paintings from the Italian Renaissance, this painting was given what name?
Creation of Adam
Annunciation
Tobias and the Angel
Last Judgement
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Unlike previous artists, Michelangelo moved away from the traditional way of depicting the creation of Adam as a glorified event. Instead, in his "Creation of Adam," the moment that life is given to the first man is crafted with a humanistic touch.

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26 Rembrandt Christ with the Sick around Him, Receiving the Children
Wiki Commons by cQEMT9y2iQ_A7Q at Google Cultural Institute
Depicting Christ during one of his sermons, what's the title of this print by Rembrandt van Rijn?
Triumph of the Name of Jesus
Christ with the Sick around Him, Receiving the Children
Deposition
Glory
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rembrandt van Rijn became a master of prints, where he used both etching and engravings to create his works. "Christ with the Sick around Him, Receiving the Children" is one such example that relies on contrasting light and dark to draw attention to Christ.

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8 Edward Hopper Nighthawks
"Wiki Commons by 21 January 1942: completed by Edward Hopper 13 May 1942: bought by Daniel Catton Rich, director of the Art Institute of Chicago, for 3,000 US$"
What painting is this that captures the look of a downtown diner in the early 1940s?
Nighthawks
Automat
Chop Suey
Room in New York
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Edward Hopper hoped to capture the attitude of the Great Depression with his work when he returned from studying in Europe. "Nighthawks" is one such example where he relied on a still scene full of empty spaces to bring about a feeling of isolation.

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1 Grant_DeVolson_Wood_-_American_Gothic
Wiki Commons by Friends of American Art Collection
Inspired by a small town in Iowa, can you name this painting that was first exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago?
American Gothic
Spring in Town
Young Corn
Parson Weems' Fable
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"American Gothic" was the result of Grant Wood's desire to rebel against the abstract art associated with Europe and New York. Relying on the Regionalism movement of the Midwest, Wood created a work that used realism to make it more relatable for viewers.

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22 A Sunday on La Grande Jatte
Wiki Commons by Georges Seurat
What do you call this major example of the pointillist genre of paintings?
Mouth of the Seine at Honfleur, evening
The Circus
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte
Bathers at Asnieres
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Originally exhibited in Paris, "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" required a considerable amount of effort from Georges Seurat to complete. Even before starting the painting, the artist created a series of drawings and oil sketches to guide him through the process.

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17 Giaele_e_Sisara
Wiki Commons by Artemisia Gentileschi
Do you recognize this painting that depicts a story from the Book of Judges in the Bible?
The Angelus
Transfiguration
Jael and Sisera
The Return of the Prodigal Son
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Jael and Sisera" is an oil on canvas painting created by Artemisia Gentileschi in 1620. The painting tells the Biblical story of Jael driving a tent peg into the head of Sisera, an enemy warlord who was seeking refuge from the Israelites.

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38 Frederic Church Twilight in the Wilderness
Wiki Commons by wartburg.edu
What's the name of this piece of art created to show the contrast in the American character of 1860?
Pittsburgh Memory
Spring Way
Twilight in the Wilderness
Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

America was facing a bloody Civl War when Frederic Church painted "Twilight in the Wilderness" in 1860. The painting emphasizes an idealistic and peaceful view of a country torn apart by a growing internal conflict.

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15 William Hogarth Breakfast Scene
Wiki Commons by The National Gallery
This painting satirizing the middle-class in England is called what?
Breakfast Scene
The Broken Column
Lord Heathfield
A Philosopher Giving a Lecture at the Orrery
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By the 18th century, England had a growing middle-class that was becoming increasingly prosperous in their country. One of six paintings from "Marriage a la Mode," William Hogarth's work "Breakfast Scene" depicts how money affected the morals of this middle class.

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23 Jacques-Louis_David_-_Oath_of_the_Horatii
Wiki Commons by Jacques-Louis David
An influential work in the Neoclassical style that arose in the late-18th century, do you recognize this painting?
Oath of the Horatii
The Coronation of Napoleon
The Intervention of the Sabine Women
The Tennis Court Oath
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jacques-Louis David was a master at using noble events from the past to inspire virtue during the time he lived. "Oath of the Horatii" tells the story of three sons from Rome who swear an oath to fight to the death for their city, but they are oblivious to their female relatives who mourn in the background.

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27 Rosa Bonheur The Horse Fair
Wiki Commons by Rosa Bonheur
Do you recognize this work created by Rosa Bonheur after studying animal anatomy?
The Horse Fair
The Charging Chasseur
Whistlejacket
The Races at Longchamp
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rosa Bonheur spent over a year sketching the design for "The Horse Fair" at a horse market in Paris on Boulevard de I'Hopital. To avoid attention that might come her way, she dressed as a man while attending the market.

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7 Guernica
Wiki Commons by Herbert Behrens / Anefo
This famous political artwork by Pablo Picasso is called what?
The Weeping Woman
Guernica
Bull's Head
Ma Jolie
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pablo Picasso wasn't afraid to shy away from the political with his work, and "Guernica" is a perfect example, depicting his views on the Nazi bombing of Guernica in 1937. The painting shows how innocent people are affected by the tragedies of war.

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31 Raphael School of Athens
Wiki Commons by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino
Have you studied enough art to name this masterpiece by Raphael that was commissioned by Pope Julius II?
School of Athens
The Marriage of the Virgin
Transfiguration
The Parnassus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"School of Athens" was painted by the Renaissance painter Raphael inside the Palace of the Vatican, which was an important painting commission to be given by the pope. The painting was intended to make the pope not only look like a religious figure but as a man of knowledge as well.

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24 Gericault Insane Woman
Wiki Commons by Rama
This art portrait from the Romantic artist Theodore Gericault is called what?
Grande Odalisque
Insane Woman
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
Olympia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While preparing to paint "Insane Woman," Theodore Gericault studied woman held at insane asylums as well as heads from the victims of the guillotine. He did this because he believed that character was best revealed during a state of madness or right at the point of death.

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12 Night Watch
Wiki Commons by Rembrandt
A painting that's recognized for its use of light and shadow, can you identify this work by Rembrandt?
Return of the Prodigal Son
Syndics of the Drapers' Guild
Night Watch
The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "Night Watch," Rembrandt brings to life a civic-guard group as they prepare for a parade that's about to take place. The artist brilliantly animates the scene in a fashion that displays excitement through the use of contrasting movements by the characters depicted.

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37 A Storm Georgia O'Keeffe
Wiki Commons by Vexations
An example of American Modernism, this artwork is known by which title?
Sunrise
Light Coming on the Plains
Abstraction White Rose
A Storm
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"A Storm" is a pastel on paper artwork created by the American-born artist Georgia O'Keeffe. In a scene using dramatic expression, O'Keeffe creates an image that contrasts the deep blues of the water with the yellow and red outline of a lightning strike.

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32 Glorification of Saint Ignatius
Wiki Commons by Laszlo
A ceiling fresco located in the nave of Sant'Ignazio in Rome, can you name this artwork?
Triumph of the Name of Jesus
Triumph of the Barberini
Aurora
Glorification of Saint Ignatius
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A lay brother of the Jesuit order, Fra Andrea Pozzo created "Glorification of Saint Ignatius" as a dedication to the founder of the Jesuit order. The ceiling decoration extends the church's architecture, as it gives off the illusion that it's opening up to Heaven.

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14 Diego Velazquez Las Meninas
Wiki Commons by Diego Velazquez
What's the title of this mysterious painting by Diego Velazquez that was created during the Baroque period in Spain?
Portrait of Innocent X
Rokeby Venus
Las Hilanderas
Las Meninas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Las Meninas" has become famous for its obscure meaning, which has left art historians confused for years. Much of the confusion lies in the mirror, which shows the reflection of King Philip IV and Queen Mariana, where they appear to be in the viewer's space of the painting.

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10 Banquet in the House of Levi
Wiki Commons by © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 4.0
Paolo Veronese used classical architecture in many of his works such as this one. What's it called?
Allegory of Vanity
Christ in the House of Levi
Last Supper
Triumph of Venice
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Christ in the House of Levi" was created by Paolo Veronese to be displayed in the dining hall at Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice. The art piece was going to be called "Last Supper," but the Holy Office of the Inquisition accused Veronese of impiety because of those painted around Christ, forcing him to change the name.

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28 The_Love_Letter_-_Jan_Vermeer_van_Delft
Wiki Commons by Corel Professional Photos CD-ROM
One of Jan Vermeer's interior masterpieces, name this piece of art?
Mural
Autumn Rhythm
Convergence
The Letter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jan Vermeer used his artwork to give viewers a glimpse of the peaceful and comfortable life associated with citizens of the United Provinces. In "The Letter," Vermeer places the viewer outside of a drawn curtain to create the sense of a private scene happening inside.

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33 Pieter Claesz Vanitas Still Life
Wiki Commons by Staszek99
Painted by the still-life artist Pieter Claesz, what's the name of the piece of Dutch art?
Cabeza
Still Life with a Late Ming Ginger Jar
Vanitas Still Life
Skull
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dutch painters in the 17th century used art to depict the triviality of worldly pleasures by referencing them to death. "Vanitas Still Life" is one such example, where the beauty of the objects are countered by the presence of a skull and a cracked walnut.

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30 Caravaggio-The_Conversion_on_the_Way_to_D
Wiki Commons by Web Gallery of Art
This dramatic piece of Italian art is noted for its use of perspective. What's it called?
Flight into Egypt
Surrender of Breda
Conversion on the Way to Damascus
Pilgrimage to Cythera
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Conversion on the Way to Damascus" depicts the moment Saint Paul was converted to follow Christ. Unlike most religious painting from the time, Caravaggio tries a different approach with his religious scene, drawing viewers in by putting them as close as possible to the action.

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13 Sirani_Virgin_and_Child
Wiki Commons by Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Conservation funds generously provided by the Southern California State Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Depicting Mary, the mother of Jesus, in a realistic manner, do you know the name of this painting by Elisabetta Sirani?
Madonna and Child
Virgin and Child
The Sistine Madonna
Madonna Litta
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Elisabetta Sirani's "Virgin and Child" varies from previous paintings depicting Mary and Jesus in a much more heavenly way. Instead, here, the mother and child share a humanly glance, as the child prepares to crown his mother, hinting at the notion of her place in God's kingdom.

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34 Louise Bourgeois Maman
Wiki Commons by hh oldman
Can you identify this piece of art created by Louise Bourgeois around the theme of infidelity?
Maman
Cumul I
Quarantania I
Articulated Lair
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Seven total versions of "Maman" were created after a commission was given to Louise Bourgeois by The Unilever Series. The original version was sculpted from steel, while the remaining six are made of bronze.

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19 Michelangelo David
Wiki Commons by Michelangelo
Can you name this marble sculpture created by the Renaissance master Michelangelo?
The Thinker
David
Pieta
Tian Tan Buddha
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Using a single block of marble, Michelangelo created "David" when he was only 26 years old. The artwork was intended to sit on the roof of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, but it was too large to lift and ended up in the Palazzo della Signoria.

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Wiki Commons by bgEuwDxel93-Pg at Google Cultural Institute, Museum of Modern Art