Cubism altered how we view art, breaking away from traditional perspectives to show multiple angles at once. Developed primarily by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in Paris, this movement redefined representation in the early twentieth century.
This quiz covers key moments, including the early Analytical phase and the collage-heavy Synthetic period. You will see questions about famous works, key influences, and the main techniques used by these innovative artists.
Once you finish, take a look at other art movements. You can also explore bios of famous artists or learn about different painting techniques.
Which artist is credited with co-founding Cubism alongside Georges Braque?
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Which visual element most strongly characterizes the early works of Cubism?
Detailed landscapes
Detailed landscapes
Realist portraits
Realist portraits
Geometric shapes
Geometric shapes
Soft brushstrokes
Soft brushstrokes
In which city did Picasso and Braque primarily develop the style of Cubism between 1907 and 1914?
Berlin
Berlin
Paris
Paris
London
London
Rome
Rome
Which 1907 painting by Pablo Picasso is considered a proto-Cubist work that broke significantly from traditional perspective?
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon
Impression, Sunrise
Impression, Sunrise
The Starry Night
The Starry Night
The Persistence of Memory
The Persistence of Memory
How did Cubist painters challenge the traditional perspective methods established during the Renaissance?
Perfect anatomical accuracy
Perfect anatomical accuracy
Strict adherence to horizon lines
Strict adherence to horizon lines
Multiple viewpoints at once
Multiple viewpoints at once
Single-point perspective
Single-point perspective
The ‘Analytical’ phase of Cubism, characterized by monochromatic palettes, roughly spanned which years?
1901-1906
1901-1906
1913-1918
1913-1918
1907-1912
1907-1912
1919-1924
1919-1924
What color palette was characteristic of the Analytical phase of Cubism?
Impressionistic pastel hues
Impressionistic pastel hues
Fluorescent neon tones
Fluorescent neon tones
Monochromatic grays, browns, and ochres
Monochromatic grays, browns, and ochres
Bright primary colors
Bright primary colors
Which Post-Impressionist artist’s structural approach to painting significantly influenced the development of Cubism?
Juan Gris
Juan Gris
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp
Picasso was heavily influenced by which style of art while developing the fragmented forms of Cubism?
Roman frescoes
Roman frescoes
Greek statues
Greek statues
Renaissance sketches
Renaissance sketches
African masks
African masks
What defined the ‘Synthetic’ phase of Cubism?
Synthesizing collage and reality into the canvas
Synthesizing collage and reality into the canvas
Focusing entirely on light and atmosphere
Focusing entirely on light and atmosphere
Using dramatic chiaroscuro for emotional effect
Using dramatic chiaroscuro for emotional effect
Breaking objects into tiny individual brushstrokes
Breaking objects into tiny individual brushstrokes
Which technique, involving the pasting of paper and other materials, was introduced during the Synthetic phase of Cubism?
Watercolor airbrushing
Watercolor airbrushing
Oil painting exclusively
Oil painting exclusively
Collage (papier collé)
Collage (papier collé)
Large-scale frescoes
Large-scale frescoes
How did the Synthetic phase differ visually from the Analytical phase?
It became more complex and fragmented
It became more complex and fragmented
It returned to classical realism
It returned to classical realism
It abandoned all recognizable subject matter
It abandoned all recognizable subject matter
It shifted toward simpler shapes and brighter colors
It shifted toward simpler shapes and brighter colors
Which musical instruments were frequent subjects of the Cubist experiment due to their complex, overlapping forms?
Drums and cymbals
Drums and cymbals
Flutes and harps
Flutes and harps
Trumpets and saxophones
Trumpets and saxophones
Violins and guitars
Violins and guitars
In a Cubist composition, how is an object typically handled by the artist?
Colors are strictly separated by black outlines
Colors are strictly separated by black outlines
The subject becomes unrecognizable
The subject becomes unrecognizable
Objects are flattened and reconstructed from different angles
Objects are flattened and reconstructed from different angles
The painting captures a split-second of movement
The painting captures a split-second of movement
Which Italian art movement, influenced by Cubism, emphasized speed, technology, and youth?
Futurism
Futurism
Pop Art
Pop Art
Neo-Classicism
Neo-Classicism
Baroque Romanticism
Baroque Romanticism
Which abstract art movement was heavily influenced by the structured, grid-like experimentation of Cubism?
Ancient Egyptian wall painting
Ancient Egyptian wall painting
De Stijl
De Stijl
Renaissance art
Renaissance art
Rococo art
Rococo art
Which famous 1921 painting by Picasso exemplifies the flatness and bold, geometric style of Synthetic Cubism?
Portrait of Gertrude Stein
Portrait of Gertrude Stein
Three Musicians
Three Musicians
The Weeping Woman
The Weeping Woman
Guernica
Guernica
Which art critic is famously credited with coining the term ‘Cubism’ after seeing Braque’s ‘geometric sketches’?
Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire
Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler
Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler
André Breton
André Breton
Louis Vauxcelles
Louis Vauxcelles
What was the primary conceptual goal of Braque and Picasso in their early Cubist works?
They wanted to create art that was easily reproducible for mass printing
They wanted to create art that was easily reproducible for mass printing
They wanted to avoid using any color other than black and white
They wanted to avoid using any color other than black and white
They wanted to represent the intellectual essence of the object
They wanted to represent the intellectual essence of the object
They wanted to paint exactly what they saw with their eyes
They wanted to paint exactly what they saw with their eyes
How did Cubism influence the development of modern art?
It proved that classical perspective was the only way to portray depth
It proved that classical perspective was the only way to portray depth
It paved the way for abstract art by detaching subject matter from realistic depiction
It paved the way for abstract art by detaching subject matter from realistic depiction
It was the first abstract movement to exclude all representational elements
It was the first abstract movement to exclude all representational elements
It discouraged artists from using mixed media in their work
It discouraged artists from using mixed media in their work
Which of the following describes the working relationship between Picasso and Braque between 1908 and 1912?
They worked so closely together that their work was sometimes indistinguishable
They worked so closely together that their work was sometimes indistinguishable
They rarely collaborated and worked in total isolation
They rarely collaborated and worked in total isolation
They were bitter rivals who never spoke throughout the movement
They were bitter rivals who never spoke throughout the movement
Braque focused strictly on portraits while Picasso only painted landscapes
Braque focused strictly on portraits while Picasso only painted landscapes
In the context of the Synthetic phase, what does the ‘synthetic’ approach imply?
The artist avoids showing different sides of an object simultaneously
The artist avoids showing different sides of an object simultaneously
The artist works from the outside in, simplifying the form into flat planes
The artist works from the outside in, simplifying the form into flat planes
The artist strictly limits the palette to only red and yellow tones
The artist strictly limits the palette to only red and yellow tones
The artist works like a creator, building the subject up from disparate elements
The artist works like a creator, building the subject up from disparate elements
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If you enjoyed this quiz, check out more masterpieces, read up on some art curiosities, or discover unique architectural styles.
