An Eye for Art
Step into the studio and explore the materials, techniques and works that shape our visual culture.
Step into the studio and explore the materials, techniques and works that shape our visual culture. Take ten thoughtfully chosen questions at your own pace. Each answer comes with a short explanation to help you connect the facts and remember something new.
Who painted the Mona Lisa?
Your question-by-question study guide
Prefer to read, or revisit what you learned? Explore every question below. Open an answer when you’re ready.
1. Who painted the Mona Lisa?
- Raphael
- Caravaggio
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Michelangelo
Reveal answer and explanation
Leonardo da Vinci — Leonardo painted the portrait during the Italian Renaissance.
2. In buon fresco, what surface receives the paint?
- Fresh wet plaster
- Dry wooden panels
- Polished metal sheets
- Woven linen canvas
Reveal answer and explanation
Fresh wet plaster — In buon fresco, pigments are applied to fresh wet plaster and become bound into it as it sets. Painting onto dry plaster is a different technique called fresco secco.
3. Which artist painted The Starry Night in 1889?
- Vincent van Gogh
- Claude Monet
- Paul Cézanne
- Henri Matisse
Reveal answer and explanation
Vincent van Gogh — Van Gogh painted the swirling night scene while staying in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
4. What is sculpture primarily concerned with?
- Only printed text
- Only recorded sound
- Only flat maps
- Three-dimensional form
Reveal answer and explanation
Three-dimensional form — Sculpture shapes or assembles materials into three-dimensional works.
5. Which art movement is associated with Claude Monet?
- Cubism
- Dada
- Impressionism
- Surrealism
Reveal answer and explanation
Impressionism — Monet explored light and fleeting visual impressions, central interests of Impressionism.
6. What is a self-portrait?
- A sculpture of an animal
- An artist's depiction of themselves
- A portrait made without an artist
- A landscape with no people
Reveal answer and explanation
An artist's depiction of themselves — A self-portrait presents the artist as their own subject.
7. What is a mosaic made from?
- Small pieces arranged into a design
- Only woven threads
- Only poured wax
- Only folded paper
Reveal answer and explanation
Small pieces arranged into a design — Mosaics arrange small pieces of materials such as stone or glass to form images.
8. Which artist is closely associated with Cubism alongside Georges Braque?
- J. M. W. Turner
- Sandro Botticelli
- Johannes Vermeer
- Pablo Picasso
Reveal answer and explanation
Pablo Picasso — Picasso and Braque developed Cubism's fragmented forms and multiple viewpoints.
9. What is negative space in visual art?
- Only black paint
- A damaged canvas
- The space around and between subjects
- An unfinished signature
Reveal answer and explanation
The space around and between subjects — Negative space can shape a composition as strongly as its main objects.
10. Which tool commonly applies watercolor paint?
- Welding torch
- Brush
- Chisel
- Potter's wheel
Reveal answer and explanation
Brush — Watercolor is usually applied with brushes, using water to carry pigments.