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Vandalized painting splattered with red and black in a dark museum, magnifying glass, crimson curtain and flying papers
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ArtHard

Art and Scandals

In 1911, the Mona Lisa vanished from the Louvre, hidden under the coat of an Italian employee. In 2018, Banksy shredded one of his works live at Sotheby's right after the hammer fell. From the 1863 Salon to a $69 million NFT, ten scandals that rocked the art world, from Manet to Duchamp.

10

Questions

2

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 10 quiz questions

Question 1 : Which Manet painting caused a scandal at the 1863 Salon?

Possible answers:

  • Music in the Tuileries
  • The Luncheon on the Grass
  • A Bar at the Folies-Bergère
  • Olympia

Explanation: Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe shocked audiences with its depiction of a nude woman among clothed men.

Question 2 : Which artist cut off his ear?

Possible answers:

  • Paul Gauguin
  • Vincent van Gogh
  • Edvard Munch
  • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Explanation: Van Gogh cut off part of his left ear in December 1888 in Arles.

Question 3 : The theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 was committed by...

Possible answers:

  • Guillaume Apollinaire
  • Pablo Picasso
  • A museum guard
  • Vincenzo Peruggia

Explanation: Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian glazier working at the Louvre, stole the painting by hiding it under his coat.

Question 4 : Which Marcel Duchamp work shocked the art world in 1917?

Possible answers:

  • The Bride
  • Fountain (urinal)
  • Bicycle Wheel
  • Nude Descending a Staircase

Explanation: Fountain, a urinal signed "R. Mutt", redefined what could be considered art.

Question 5 : Banksy destroyed one of his works at auction in 2018. Which one?

Possible answers:

  • Napalm Girl
  • Flower Thrower
  • Girl with Balloon
  • Kissing Coppers

Explanation: Girl with Balloon self-destructed through a shredder hidden in the frame, just after being sold at Sotheby's.

Question 6 : Which artist sold an NFT for $69 million in 2021?

Possible answers:

  • Beeple
  • Banksy
  • Damien Hirst
  • Jeff Koons

Explanation: Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) sold "Everydays: the First 5000 Days" at Christie's for $69.3 million.

Question 7 : Which artist placed a crucifix in urine (1987)?

Possible answers:

  • Marcel Duchamp
  • Chris Ofili
  • Damien Hirst
  • Andres Serrano

Explanation: Andres Serrano created "Piss Christ", sparking a worldwide controversy about the limits of art.

Question 8 : Wyeth's "Christina's World" is often mistaken for...

Possible answers:

  • A romantic landscape
  • An advertisement
  • A horror painting
  • A self-portrait

Explanation: Many see a horror scene, but Christina Olson had a muscular disease and was crawling toward her house.

Question 9 : Who vandalized "Liberty Leading the People" in 2013?

Possible answers:

  • A female visitor
  • A disgruntled guard
  • A student
  • An artist

Explanation: A visitor wrote "AE911" in marker on the painting at Louvre-Lens. The inscription was successfully cleaned.

Question 10 : How many times has the Mona Lisa been vandalized?

Possible answers:

  • Never
  • Only once
  • 2 times
  • At least 4 times

Explanation: At least 4 times: acid (1956), rock (1956), red paint (1974), and coffee mug (2009).

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