Art Flashcards
A review of prominent artists and their works, this deck covers everything from the classics to comic books to modern art. 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!
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Mona Lisa (1517) by Leonardo da Vinci
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.
Which Spanish painter and sculptor of the 19th and 20th centuries is best known as a co-founder of the Cubist movement and for the diverse styles he explored?
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
His major works include Guernica, an anti-war mural, and Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.
Which 15th- and 16th-century Italian Renaissance polymath is considered the archetypical Renaissance Man for his diverse talents and interests in the arts and sciences?
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)
His major works include the paintings The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper and the drawing The Vetruvian Man.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Last Supper (1498) by Leonardo da Vinci
This is a fresco painting on the wall of a monastery in Milan, Italy, depicting Christ’s Last Supper with his disciples.
Which 20th-century American artist is best known as a founder and leading figure of the Pop Art movement?
Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
His major works include the film Chelsea Girls and the painting Campbell’s Soup Cans.
Which 15th- and 16th-century Italian sculptor, painter, and architect was best known for the sculptures David and Pieta, the fresco painting The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and for redesigning Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican?
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
He is considered a Renaissance Man, rivaled only by Leonardo da Vinci; he excelled in a variety of artistic disciplines.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh
This oil painting is considered Van Gogh’s greatest work, and is famous for its sweeping brushstrokes that depict movement in the night sky.
Which 20th-century Mexican painter was best known for her self-portraits?
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
Kahlo was famously married to fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Her work is praised for its nationalistic and feminist undertones.
Which 19th- and 20th-century French post-Impressionist artist is known for his small, repetitive brushstrokes that build up to form a larger image?
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)
His major works include Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from Bellevue, The Card Players, and The Bathers. (Below: The Basket of Apples, 1895)
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Statue of David (1504) by Michelangelo
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.
Which 20th-century Spanish painter is best known for the bizarre and confounding images in his surrealist work?
Salvador Dali (1904-1989)
His major works include The Persistence of Memory, famously depicting melting clocks, and Swans Reflecting Elephants.
Which 19th- and 20th-century Norwegian painter and printmaker dealt with psychological themes and is considered a Symbolist?
Edvard Munch (1863-1944)
His most celebrated piece is The Scream.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Creation of Adam (1512) by Michelangelo
The series of paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel are interpretations of nine Bible stories, all from the Book of Genesis. This portion depicts the creation of Adam.
Which 20th-century American photographer is best known for her work documenting Depression-era workers for the Farm Security Administration?
Dorothea Lange (1895-1965)
Her most famous picture, Migrant Mother, has become synonymous with the Great Depression.
Which French painter of the 19th and 20th centuries is best known as a founder of Impressionism?
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
His major works include Impression, Sunrise, and Water Lilies.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Scream (1893) by Edvard Munch
This work was inspired by a sunset; Munch stated, “I sensed a scream passing through nature; it seemed to me that I heard the scream.” The painting has multiple versions made using different media; the original version is a pastel.
Which 19th-century Dutch post-Impressionist painter’s works are characterized by bold colors and emotional honesty?
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
His work was only appreciated posthumously after his early death (thought to be a suicide). His major works include The Starry Night, Sunflowers, and Bedroom in Arles.
Which 19th-century French Post-Impressionist painter and draftsman is best known as the developer of the pointillism technique of painting?
Georges Seurat (1859-1891)
His major works include Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte and Parade de Cirque.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Kiss (1909) by Gustav Klimt
This oil painting is considered Klimt’s most famous work, and is an early example of the modern art movement.
Which Dutch painter and etcher of the 17th century was a prominent member of the Dutch Golden Age, and whose major works include Danae and Night Watch?
Rembrandt (1606-1669)
He is best known for his portraits, self-portraits, and illustrations of scenes from the Bible.
Which 19th- and 20th-century French sculptor is best known as the founder of modern sculpture?
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
His major works include The Walking Man, The Burghers of Calais, and The Thinker.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Guernica (1937) by Pablo Picasso
Picasso was inspired to paint this piece after the bombing of the Spanish city Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Today the work is recognized as an anti-war symbol.
Which 19th- and 20th-century French painter and sculptor is best known for his mastery of expressive color?
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
He helped define modernism in the 20th century, and his major works include Woman with a Hat and The Dance.
Which 15th- and 16th-century painter and architect is considered part of the traditional trio of Renaissance masters (along with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo), and painted The School of Athens?
Raphael (1483-1520)
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Persistence of Memory (1931) by Salvador Dali
This piece is one of the most famous examples of surrealist artwork, which typically incorporates some unexpected visual twist.
Which American photographer of the 20th and 21st centuries is known for her portrait photographs of celebrities, which have adorned the covers of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazines?
Annie Leibovitz (1949- )
Which 20th-century Irish-born British painter typically depicted figures trapped in geometrical cages set against flat backgrounds?
Francis Bacon (1909-1992)
His major works include Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion and Study for a Self-Portrait - Triptych.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665) by Johannes Vermeer
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.
Which 18th- and 19th-century Spanish painter and printmaker’s work was often darker than that of his contemporaries, and included pieces such as La maja desnuda, The Third of May 1808, and Black Paintings?
Francisco Goya (1746-1828)
Which 19th- and 20th-century French painter helped develop the Impressionist movement, and often portrayed feminine sensuality in his paintings?
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
His major works include Bal du moulin de la Galette, Nude, and Luncheon of the Boating Party.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Birth of Venus (1486) by Sandro Botticelli
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.
Which 20th-century American painter is best known for her large-scale close-up paintings of blossoms and New York City buildings?
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986)
Her major works include Blue and Green Music, Pineapple Bud, Ram’s Head White Hollyhock, and Little Hills.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
American Gothic (1930) by Grant Wood
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.
Which 19th- and 20th-century French artist is known as one of the founders of Impressionism but preferred to be called a realist?
Edgar Degas (1834-1917)
He is usually associated with the depiction of dancers and movement in general, and his major works include The Bellelli Family and Woman with Chrysanthemums.
Which 20th-century American painter is best known for his unique painting style in which he would fling the paint from his brush in controlled splashes while his canvas lay on the floor of his studio?
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
He is best known as a major figure in the Abstract Expressionst movement.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) by Andy Warhol
This work is an iconic piece of pop art created by screen printing. It includes every type of Campbell’s Soup the company made at that time.
Which 19th- and 20th-century Russian painter is credited as the first painter of purely abstract forms?
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
His major works include On White II and Der Blaue Reiter. (Below: Gelb-Rot-Blau, 1925)
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Lavender Mist (1950) by Jackson Pollock
This mural-sized painting is one of Pollock’s most famous drip and splatter works. Interestingly, the painting contains no lavender, but nevertheless seems to radiate the color.
Which 20th-century American photographer is famous for his large-scale black-and-white photographs of the American wilderness, especially Yosemite National Park?
Ansel Adams (1902-1984)
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Fountain (1917) by Marcel Duchamp
This work is a urinal turned 90º on its back. At the time of its debut, it was considered a controversial piece; some thought it scandalous, while others believed it was revolutionary.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1886) by Georges Seurat
This work 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.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Thinker (1902) by Rodin
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.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Waterlilies (1919) by Claude Monet
Waterlilies does not refer to one painting, but rather a series of about 250 paintings of waterlilies that Claude Monet completed in the last thirty years of his life. The works are based on his own garden, and were painted when he was suffering from cataracts.
Which 15th-century Italian architect and engineer is credited with the discovery of perspective?
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446)
His most celebrated work is the engineering of the Duomo in Florence.
Which 17th- and 18th-century English architect is best known for designing St. Paul’s Cathedral?
Christopher Wren (1632-1723)
He designed many churches in London, especially after the Great Fire in 1666.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Las Meninas (1656) by Diego Velazquez
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.
Which American architect of the 19th and 20th centuries is widely considered the greatest American architect of all time?
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)
He 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.
Which Chinese-born American architect of the 20th and 21st centuries is considered a master of modern architecture?
I.M. Pei (1917-2019)
His major works include the Louvre Pyramid, the Bank of China Tower, and the John F. Kennedy Library.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt
The fame of this painting can be attributed to three elements:
Its large size (almost 12 feet by 15 feet);
Its use of light and shadow to depict the important figures of the piece;
The atypical positions of the subjects.
Typically, military paintings depicted subjects in a static pose, but Rembrandt paints them in a more dynamic way, as if they are in motion.
Which 19th- and 20th-century American landscape architect is best known for designing urban parks such as Central Park and Prospect Park in New York City?
Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903)
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Nighthawks (1942) by Edward Hopper
This iconic piece of American art became famous for its use of light, color, and perspective.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
The Great Wave off Kanagawa (1832) by Katsushika Hokusai
One of the most famous pieces of Japanese artwork, this woodblock print depicts a great wave with Mount Fuji in the background.
What is the name of this famous work of art?
Whistler’s Mother (1871) by James McNeill Whistler
This iconic oil painting depicts the artist’s mother, and has been called a modern Mona Lisa.
Which 19th- and 20th-century French sculptor is best known for designing the Statue of Liberty?
Frederic Bartholdi (1834-1904)
Which 20th-century American cartoonist is best known as the creator of the Peanuts comic strip?
Charles Schulz (1922-2000)
Which American film producer and director of the 20th century is best known for creating the character Mickey Mouse?
Walt Disney (1901-1966)
What material is made from woven fabric and is used for painting?
canvas
What type of paint is a polymer mixture with pigment?
acrylic
This fast-drying, water soluble paint was first used in the 1930s.
What type of paint is typically a mixture of linseed oil and pigment?
oil paint
This slow-drying, water unsoluble paint has been a popular medium since the 600s.
What type of paint was likely used for this work?
watercolor paint
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.
Which art style began in Rome, Italy around 1600 and then grew in success and popularity for most of the next two centuries while receiving support from the Catholic church?
Baroque
The baroque style was characterized by grandeur, movement, drama, and emotional expression. It’s influence spanned, painting, architecture, music, literature, dance, theater, and sculpture.
Example: The Triumph of the Immaculate (1710-1715) by Paolo de Matteis
Which art period took place from 1750-1850, and was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art?
Neoclassical
Example: Nicolaus Copernicus Monument (1822-1830) by Bertel Thorvaldsen
Which art movement took place from 1780-1850, and emphasized the expression and depiction of human emotion?
Romanticism
Landscapes and other nature scenes were also common during this period.
Example: The Voyage of Life: Childhood (1842) by Thomas Cole
Which art movement took place from 1848-1900, and began in France in opposition to the Romanticism movement?
Realism
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: Nocturne: Blue and Gold — Old Battersea Bridge (c. 1872–1875) by James McNeill Whistler
Which art movement took place from 1865-1885, and is characterized by free brush strokes rather than deliberate lines?
Impressionism
Impressionist works are commonly painted outdoors, or “en plein air,” and include landscapes, portraits, and outdoor scenes.
Example: Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son (1875) by Claude Monet
Which art movement took place from 1885-1910 as a more liberal continuation of the Impressionist movement?
Post-Impressionism
Artists of this era took more liberties with Impressionist works, such as bold colors and exaggerated shapes and figures.
Example: Large Plane Trees (1889) by Vincent van Gogh
Which art movement took place from 1900-1935, and depicted emotion in a distorted, exaggerated way?
Expressionism
Expressionist works can be characterized as abstract, jarring, and even unsettling to look at.
Example: Nollendorfplatz (1912) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Which art movement took place from 1905-1920, and depicted subjects with geometric shapes, sometimes rearranged?
Cubism
Pablo Picasso was one of the founders of the cubist movement.
Example: Portrait (1915) by Jeanne Rij-Rousseau
Which art movement took place from 1917-1950, is characterized by dream-like, illogical subjects and scenes?
Surrealism
Example: Marks (2012) by Nadir M. García
Which art movement took place from 1940-1960 and was comprised of many different types of artwork that had a common abstract quality?
Abstract Expressionism
Example: The Gate (1959) by Hans Hofmann
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
Famous artists of this genre include Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
Example: Drowning Girl (1963) by Roy Lichtenstein
