Art Trivia: Famous Paintings and Artists Explained

Art rounds reward a little curiosity about the people and paintings behind the masterpieces. Here are 20 facts to help you recognise the classics instantly.

Famous Paintings

• The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci hangs in the Louvre in Paris and is one of the most visited artworks in the world.
• Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night while staying at an asylum in the south of France.
• Edvard Munch’s The Scream exists in several versions.
• Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper is a huge mural painted directly onto a wall.

Legendary Artists

• Pablo Picasso helped pioneer the Cubist style and produced thousands of works in his lifetime.
• Vincent van Gogh sold very few paintings while he was alive, yet is now one of the most celebrated artists ever.
• Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and sculpted the famous statue of David.

Movements & Styles

• Impressionism, led by artists like Claude Monet, captured light and movement with loose brushwork.
• The Renaissance was a golden age of European art centred in Italy.
• Surrealism, associated with Salvador Dalí, filled canvases with dreamlike, impossible scenes.

Learn a handful of these and the art round becomes your strength. Ready to test your eye? Jump into a free Art quiz and see how many you can name.