The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What does the background of the Mona Lisa hide?
Possible answers:
- A man's portrait
- A castle
- An asymmetrical landscape (two horizons)
- A secret message
Explanation: The landscape behind Mona Lisa features two horizons at different heights, creating a subtle optical illusion.
Question 2 : How many figures appear in Da Vinci's Last Supper?
Possible answers:
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
Explanation: 13 figures: Jesus and his 12 apostles, arranged in four groups of three.
Question 3 : What instrument is featured in Vermeer's "The Concert", stolen in 1990?
Possible answers:
- A lute
- A harpsichord
- A guitar
- A violin
Explanation: The Concert shows a harpsichord at its center. The painting was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and never recovered.
Question 4 : In Las Meninas, who is Velázquez painting?
Possible answers:
- The dog
- Himself
- The king and queen (in the mirror)
- The Infanta
Explanation: Velázquez is painting King Philip IV and Queen Mariana, visible in the mirror at the back of the room.
Question 5 : What does David's left hand hold (Michelangelo)?
Possible answers:
- A sling
- Nothing
- A sword
- A stone
Explanation: David holds a sling in his left hand, the weapon with which he will slay Goliath.
Question 6 : In "The Creation of Adam", the shape behind God resembles...
Possible answers:
- A heart
- A human brain
- A cloud
- A lung
Explanation: Anatomists noticed that the shape of God's cloak matches the cross-section of a human brain.
Question 7 : What animal appears in Dürer's signature?
Possible answers:
- A rabbit (initials AD)
- An eagle
- A deer
- A snake
Explanation: Dürer signed with his initials AD, but is most famous for his detailed engraving of a hare (1502).
Question 8 : In Munch's "The Scream", is the figure screaming?
Possible answers:
- He is yawning
- Yes, he is calling someone
- Yes, he screams in terror
- No, he hears a scream
Explanation: The figure is not screaming: they hear a scream coming from nature and cover their ears in terror.
Question 9 : Does the "Girl with a Pearl Earring" wear a real pearl?
Possible answers:
- Yes, a natural pearl
- Yes, a cultured pearl
- It's a diamond
- Probably not (too large, it's glass)
Explanation: Probably not: the pearl is too large and shiny to be natural. It was likely a blown glass pearl.
Question 10 : What is the Mona Lisa holding in her right hand?
Possible answers:
- A handkerchief
- Nothing (her hands are resting)
- A flower
- A book
Explanation: Mona Lisa holds nothing: her hands are simply resting one on the other, in a very natural pose.
