Art is not always quiet landscapes and pretty portraits. Throughout history, artists have pushed boundaries, sparked arguments, and faced bans for their provocative creations.
This quiz looks at high-profile art controversies. You will see questions about Marcel Duchamp’s shocking submissions, political fights over public funding, and famous banned exhibitions.
Once you finish, check out our trivia on art curiosities. We also have quizzes covering contemporary art and famous artists to find more questions you might enjoy.
Who submitted a porcelain urinal titled ‘Fountain’ to the Society of Independent Artists in 1917?
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp
What artistic term did Marcel Duchamp use to describe objects like his ‘Fountain’ that were chosen and presented as art?
Readymade
Readymade
Painting
Painting
Photography
Photography
Sculpture
Sculpture
Under what pseudonym did Marcel Duchamp submit ‘Fountain’ to the Society of Independent Artists in 1917?
Rrose Sélavy
Rrose Sélavy
Belle Haleine
Belle Haleine
R. Mutt
R. Mutt
L.H.O.O.Q.
L.H.O.O.Q.
Which artist created the controversial 1987 photograph titled ‘Piss Christ’?
Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst
Chris Ofili
Chris Ofili
Robert Mapplethorpe
Robert Mapplethorpe
Andrés Serrano
Andrés Serrano
What liquid was ‘Piss Christ’ famously submerged in to create the aesthetic effect of the photograph?
A vat of oil
A vat of oil
A vat of urine
A vat of urine
A vat of honey
A vat of honey
A vat of wine
A vat of wine
A major part of the debate surrounding ‘Piss Christ’ in the late 1980s concerned the role of which government agency?
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
Which artist included dried elephant dung as a key material in their painting ‘The Holy Virgin Mary’?
Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons
Tracey Emin
Tracey Emin
Banksy
Banksy
Chris Ofili
Chris Ofili
In 1999, which institution faced significant backlash and threats of funding withdrawal for exhibiting ‘The Holy Virgin Mary’?
The Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy of Arts
The Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum
The Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art
The Louvre Museum
The Louvre Museum
Which politician, while serving as mayor, attempted to cut funding to the Brooklyn Museum due to the exhibition ‘Sensation’?
David Dinkins
David Dinkins
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Rudolph Giuliani
Rudolph Giuliani
Ed Koch
Ed Koch
‘The Holy Virgin Mary’ by Chris Ofili was controversial primarily because it reimagined what?
Religious iconography
Religious iconography
A political manifesto
A political manifesto
A protest document
A protest document
A piece of fruit
A piece of fruit
What does the term ‘Entartete Kunst’ refer to in the history of banned exhibitions?
The suppression of degenerate art under the Nazi regime
The suppression of degenerate art under the Nazi regime
The prohibition of photography in public parks
The prohibition of photography in public parks
The censorship of modern dance in the 1950s
The censorship of modern dance in the 1950s
The banning of political cartoons in the 18th century
The banning of political cartoons in the 18th century
The artistic movement that championed the use of shock, irony, and anti-art, famously including Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’, is known as what?
Abstract Expressionism
Abstract Expressionism
Dadaism
Dadaism
Pop Art
Pop Art
Surrealism
Surrealism
Controversies over artworks like ‘Piss Christ’ are often debated in the context of which constitutional right?
Freedom of expression
Freedom of expression
Freedom of contract
Freedom of contract
Freedom of movement
Freedom of movement
Freedom of assembly
Freedom of assembly
Which sculptor’s minimalist work ‘Tilted Arc’ was removed from a federal plaza in New York City in 1989 after public protest?
Donald Judd
Donald Judd
Dan Flavin
Dan Flavin
Carl Andre
Carl Andre
Richard Serra
Richard Serra
What was the primary argument against the installation of Richard Serra’s ‘Tilted Arc’?
It was built from hazardous materials
It was built from hazardous materials
It was accused of mocking the local architecture
It was accused of mocking the local architecture
It was painted in offensive colors
It was painted in offensive colors
It blocked a direct path for pedestrians
It blocked a direct path for pedestrians
In the United States, debates over whether the government should fund controversial art often center on interpretations of which amendment?
The Second Amendment
The Second Amendment
The First Amendment
The First Amendment
The Fifth Amendment
The Fifth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment
Which 1989 exhibition featuring the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe became a flashpoint for debates on public arts funding?
The Perfect Moment
The Perfect Moment
The Young British Artists
The Young British Artists
Sensation
Sensation
Degenerate Art
Degenerate Art
What is the fundamental conflict often underlying the debate on controversial art?
Freedom of Expression vs. Public Decency
Freedom of Expression vs. Public Decency
National Security vs. Freedom of Information
National Security vs. Freedom of Information
Environmental Protection vs. Economic Growth
Environmental Protection vs. Economic Growth
Private Property Rights vs. Eminent Domain
Private Property Rights vs. Eminent Domain
In 1912, which Austrian artist was arrested and had their drawings seized for being deemed ‘immoral’ by the police?
Egon Schiele
Egon Schiele
Oskar Kokoschka
Oskar Kokoschka
Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt
In 1937, which organization orchestrated a massive exhibition of works they labeled ‘Degenerate Art’?
Nazi Party
Nazi Party
Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
Soviet Union Communist Party
Soviet Union Communist Party
Kuomintang in China
Kuomintang in China
What was the main propaganda intent behind the 1937 ‘Degenerate Art’ exhibition?
To auction off the works for profit
To auction off the works for profit
To prove that modern art was a form of mental illness or moral decay
To prove that modern art was a form of mental illness or moral decay
To promote scientific research
To promote scientific research
To preserve the works for future generations
To preserve the works for future generations
Why did the artist Richard Prince’s work ‘Spiritual America’ (a photo of Brooke Shields) become a focal point of intense controversy?
It was a sculpture that locals protested as a public nuisance and an eyesore
It was a sculpture that locals protested as a public nuisance and an eyesore
The work was accused of promoting political extremism
The work was accused of promoting political extremism
The work was found to contain hazardous waste
The work was found to contain hazardous waste
It featured a nude photograph of a ten-year-old girl, sparking debates over child exploitation
It featured a nude photograph of a ten-year-old girl, sparking debates over child exploitation
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