art genre Archives | Teresa Bernard Oil Paintings

Test your knowledge of fine art appreciation. Take this simple 50 question test by writing your answers on paper, then check your answers at the end of the quiz. Don’t peek!

1. __________ is the expression of human creative skill and imagination.

A.    Emphasis
B.    Contour
C.    Art
D.    Dominance

2. In what way is art important in daily life?

A.    It has personal significance.
B.    It reflects our society.
C.    It records history.
D.    It is used for marketing and advertising.
E.    It is a form of self-expression.
F.    All of the above.

3. The way to do an art critique is to __________.

A.    describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate the piece
B.    talk to the artist
C.    decide if it’s good
D.    write an artist statement

4. A person learning a trade or an art from a skilled worker is called __________.

A.    an apprentice
B.    a mentor
C.    a foreman
D.    a laborer

5. A rule used by artists when planning a good composition.

A.    “Rule of Sketch”
B.    “Rule of Placement”
C.    “Rule of Perspective”
D.    “Rule of Thirds”

6. Andy Warhol, an American painter and filmmaker, is best known for his depiction of what grocery store item?

A.    Apples
B.    Bacon
C.    Tomato Soup
D.    Onions

7. Andy Warhol’s work can best be classified as __________.

A.    realism
B.    pop art
C.    splatterpaint
D,    cubism

8. A style of artwork created using many geometric shapes, often not resembling any object.

A.    Surrealism
B.    Favauvism
C.    Cubism
D.    Baroque

9. An art style where the artist tries to paint a picture exactly how it looks in real life, with as many details as possible.

A.    Impressionism
B.    Pointillism
C.    Realism
D.    Favauvism

10. A style of art where the artist attempts to convey as much of their emotion into the artwork as possible, often using distortion and emphasis.

A.    Expressionism
B.    Surrealism
C.    Cubism
D.    Impressionist

11. The way artwork is arranged is called __________.

A.    emphasis
B.    contour
C.    composition
D.    stylus

12. Surrealism is an art movement which used dream-like images.

True | False

13. An art style where artwork is extremely detailed and ornate.

A.    Surrealism
B.    Baroque
C.    Favauvism
D.    Expressionism

14. Pablo Picasso is from the country of __________.

A.    Germany
B.    Italy
C.    Spain
D.    United States of America

15. What is the title of the style of painting that Picasso invented?

A.    Realism
B.    Impressionism
C.    Cubism
D.    Art Nouveau

16. Where is the “Mona Lisa” hanging in France?

A.    Gargoyle square
B.    The Louvre
C.    The Eiffel Tower
D.    Chartres Cathedral

17. Van Gogh’s most famous work of art to this day __________.

A.    “The Mona Lisa”
B.    “The Scream”
C.    “Starry Night”
D.    “Poppies”

18. What country was Van Gogh born in?

A.    Holland
B.    France
C.    Spain
D.    United States of America

19. Georgia O’Keeffe was an __________ artist.

A.    English
B.    Italian
C.    American
D.    Australian

20. O’Keeffe is best known for her paintings of __________.

A.    the sea and marine animals
B.    enlarged flowers and New Mexico landscapes
C.    native American Indians
D.    the Australian Outback

21. Salvador Dali is considered a Surrealist artist.

True | False

22. Salvador Dali was born in India.

True | False

23. Rembrandt is known as an artist of what style?

A.    Impressionists
B.    Baroque
C.    Modern
D.    Prehistoric

24. Rembrandt, considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art, was born in what country?

A.    Netherlands
B.    Switzerland
C.    France
D.    Spain

25. Monet is the father of which movement?

A.    Realism
B.    Impressionism
C.    Cubism
D.    Art Nouveau

26. Where did Monet grow up?

A.    Holland
B.    England
C.    France
D.    United States of America

27. Georges Seurat, the artist who created the painting “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”, used which method of art?

A.    Cubism
B.    Pointillism
C.    Abstract
D.    Dadaism

28. “Mona Lisa” was painted by __________.

A.    Vincent van Gogh
B.    Claude Monet
C.    Picasso
D.    Leonardo da Vinci

29. “Sunflowers” was painted by __________.

A.    Pierre-August Renoir
B.    Vincent van Gogh
C.    Johannes Vermeer
D.    Michelangelo

30. “Poppies in a Field” was painted by __________.

A.    Claude Monet
B.    Leonardo da Vinci
C.    Rene Magritte
D.    Johannes Vermeer

31. “The Scream” was painted by __________.

A.    Vincent van Gogh
B.    Pierre-August Renoir
C.    Edvard Munch
D.    Claude Monet

32. “The Last Supper” was painted by __________.

A.    Leonardo da Vinci
B.    Pierre-August Renoir
C.    Edvard Munch
D.    Michelangelo

33. “Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette” was painted by __________.

A.    Rene Magritte
B.    Picasso
C.    Pierre-August Renoir
D.    Johannes Vermeer

34. “Girl with a Pearl Earring” was painted by __________.

A.    Picasso
B.    Johannes Vermeer
C.    Michelangelo
D.    Edvard Munch

35. “Dance Class” was painted by __________.

A.    Claude Monet
B.    Leonardo da Vinci
C.    Edgar Degas
D.    Rene Magritte

36. “Creation of Adam” was painted by __________.

A.    Michelangelo
B.    Johannes Vermeer
C.    Pierre-August Renoir
D.    Leonardo da Vinci

37. “The Persistence of Memory” was painted by __________.

A.    Johannes Vermeer
B.    Pierre-August Renoir
C.    Salvador Dali
D.    Leonardo da Vinci

38. What does a color wheel show?

A.    Complementary colors
B.    Analogous colors
C.    Primary colors
D.    All of the above

39. Movement in art where hundreds of dots are used to create a picture or painting.

A.    Pointilism
B.    Impressionism
C.    Realism
D.    Abstract

40. The artist Edgar Degas was best known for his paintings of waterlilies.

True | False

41. Edward Degas was a nineteenth-century French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings.

True | False

42. Impressionism is a 19th century art movement that mainly focused on the __________.

A.    study of geometric form
B.    study of negative and positive space
C.    study of light on the surface of an object
D.    study of value

43. Art that emerged in the mid-1950s that used imagery from popular culture is termed __________.

A.    Impressionism
B.    Realism
C.    Minimalism
D.    Pop Art

44. A twentieth century non-representational painting style in which artists applied paints freely to express feelings and emotions.

A.    Abstract Expressionism
B.    Fauvism
C.    Pop Art
D.    Cubism

45. Jackson Pollock’s paintings were classified as what?

A.    Realism
B.    Grotesque
C.    Surreal
D.    Splatterpaint

46. Jackson Pollock was an influential American painter and a major figure in what movement?

A.    American Modernism
B.    Pop Art
C.    Abstract Expressionist
D.    Minimalism

47. An English landscape painter of the late eighteenth century, known for his pastoral scenes.

A.    John Constable
B.    Willem de Kooning
C.    Pablo Picasso
D.    Vincent van Gogh

48. Cityscapes, or as it is sometimes called Urban Landscapes, are paintings whose subject matter is the physical aspects of the city and urban life.

True | False

49. A collection of meaningless shapes, texture and colors thrown haphazardly onto a canvas. Its purpose is to let the viewer interpret its meaning for him/herself.

A.    Still Life
B.    Grotesque
C.    Collage
D.    Abstract

50. Naïve Art is works of art characterized by a childlike simplicity that possesses minute detail, bright saturated colors, disproportionate figures and lack of perspective.

True | False

Additional Reading

Know Your Art Painting Styles: 7 Most Popular

What Is Art Appreciation?

Classification Of Fine Art Paintings By Genre

Answers: 1C 2F 3A 4A 5D 6C 7B 8C 9C 10A 11C 12T 13B 14C 15C 16B 17C 18A 19C 20B 21T 22F 23B 24A 25B 26C 27B 28D 29B 30A 31C 32A 33C 34B 35C 36A 37C 38D 39A 40F 41T 42C 43D 44A 45D 46C 47A 48T 49D 50T

UPDATED: 30 March 2016

How are fine art paintings categorized?

The most common method for classifying fine art paintings is by genre (or theme). Genre is a French word that means “type” or “kind”, and what this means is, it refers to the type of image a painting portrays as its subject matter. Whether it is a landscape, portrait, still life, seascape, etc., paintings are categorized by what is depicted in them.

Common Painting Themes

Abstract Art is artwork that looks like it has been accidentally created by a two year old. It has no defined meaning and seeks to break away from the traditional representation of physical objects in real life. More often than not, abstract art is a collection of meaningless shapes, texture and colors thrown haphazardly onto a canvas. Its purpose is to let the viewer interpret its meaning for him/herself. Pictured is an example of abstract art.

Cityscapes, or as it is sometimes called Urban Landscapes, are paintings whose subject matter is the physical aspects of the city, urban life, city sections (like a city block, street corner, outdoor café, rooftops, etc.) or other urban area. A Townscape is similar to a cityscape, only it is of a township with a smaller population and perhaps less modern architecture as well. Shown is an example of a cityscape or urban landscape.

Genre Art is scene art of everyday life which depicts real life in action with ordinary people at work or in recreational situations. These type artworks include intimate scenes of daily life, costumes, domestic settings, interiors, celebrations, tavern scenes, markets and other street situations. It could also show a busy street, a beach party, a dinner gathering, or anyplace where living goes on. The subject matter is often are portrayed realistic style. See example of genre art.

History Paintings which are also called Historical Paintings portray a moment in man’s history and are not to be confused with a genre painting which depicts scenes of everyday life. History paintings can include a range of historical subjects and topics and often illustrate a part of a story or significant event. An example of historical or history painting is shown.

Landscape paintings depict the beauty of the great outdoors with its natural scenery of mountains, valleys, meadows, trees, rivers, forests, sky and weather. It can even include the countryside, farms, and structures that one would expect to find there. For instance fencing, a bridge, barn, windmill, or farmhouse. See example of landscape painting. Title: The Grand Teton Mountains

example of marine maritime art — Maritime Art

Marine Art or Maritime Art derives its inspiration from the sea. This genre of art depicts life on the open seas, boats and ships, fishermen, etc. It includes art showing shipping on rivers and estuaries, beach scenes and all art showing boats and ships. It almost always includes some element of seafaring vessel. Ship-portraits is a type of marine art that is still popular in which a single vessel is portrayed. Notice example of marine or maritime art.

Naïve Art is works of art characterized by a childlike simplicity that possesses minute detail, bright saturated colors, disproportionate figures and lack of perspective. It portrays simple, easy-to-understand and often romanticize scenes of everyday life. The absence of perspective often creates the illusion that figures within naïve paintings are weightless or floating. Naïve artists are often self-taught artists with very little or no formal art training. An example of naïve art is pictured to the right.

Portraits are artistic representations of a person, especially the face. Besides the likeness, the essence of a portrait also captures the mood and personality of the subject. A portrait of an individual may be of the face-only, or it may be head and shoulders, or the full-body. Many portraits are composed of the person in a still position and often the subject is looking directly at the painter. Included in this genre are Group-portraits (consisting of more than one individual), self-portraits and pet-portraits. A Self-portrait is one in which the artist does an artwork of him/herself. Pet-portraits of a beloved pet could also be in this category, however, animals usually fall into the wildlife category.

Communion Table still life — Religious Art

Religious Art or Sacred Art is any artistic representation using religious inspiration to express a message intending to elevate the morals of the one observing the artwork. The subject matter can be either a scared story or a profession of the artist’s faith. Religion means any set of individual beliefs, either Christian or non-Christian, which are regarded as sacred, holy, spiritual or divine. Shown is an example of religious art and is titled The Communion Table.

Space Art (sometimes referred to as Astronomical Art) is a genre of art that attempts to communicate ideas and appreciation related to the infinite variety and vastness of outer space by depicting interstellar and interplanetary elements as its subject matter. All this is made possible with the invention of telescopes making it possible to look off our world. Artists can now render what is seen out there and attempt to capture the wonders and majesty of our universe. Planets, stars, constellations, spacecraft, astronauts, black wholes, moons, comets, and other heavenly bodies can found in space art. Some other art terms related to this category include lunar landscape, moonscape, moonset, etc.

OR coast south of the sea lion caves — Seascapes

Seascape paintings are much like landscapes, only this genre of art depicts the sea with marine landscapes, beach scenes, fish and marine animals, or views of the ocean itself. Fish and other marine animals can also be categorized as wildlife. Seascapes should not be confused with Maritime Art which depicts life out on the open sea, not necessarily a marine landscape.

Still Life with Fruit and Candle art — Still Life

Still Life paintings feature an arrangement of everyday inanimate objects laid out on a table or similar surface. The objects used can be either natural or man-made. Examples of natural objects could be flowers, food, wine, rocks, seashells, dead animal skulls, etc. and manufactured items could be drinking glasses, books, bottles, pottery, coins, dishes, musical instruments and so forth.

african wildlife painting — Wildlife Art

Wildlife Art is characterized as works of art which portray the natural world and the wildlife or domesticated animals that inhabit it. It is one of the earliest forms of art dating back to prehistoric cave paintings. Portraits of animals or fish (whether wildlife or family pets) could also fit into this genre. The wildlife art sample shown is titled Raging African Elephant.

Additional Reading

Know Your Art Painting Styles: 7 Most Popular

What Are The Classifications of Art?

UPDATED: 25 November 2018

Tag: art genre

Test Your Knowledge of Art Appreciation

Classification Of Fine Art Paintings By Genre