The high-stakes art market is a place of massive fortunes, sudden updates, and mysteries. This quiz looks at the famous Salvator Mundi auction and other legendary transactions.
You will see questions about record-breaking auction prices, legal battles over lost masterpieces, and the terms used by collectors. Some questions cover specific artists, while others ask about transactions behind the scenes.
After you finish, you can visit our pages on celebrated masterpieces, read about renowned painters, or explore art museums.
Which Renaissance master painted the ‘Salvator Mundi’, the most expensive painting ever sold at public auction?
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
What was the final sale price of ‘Salvator Mundi’ at Christie’s in 2017?
$500 million
$500 million
$350 million
$350 million
$450 million
$450 million
$400 million
$400 million
Which institution announced that it would house the ‘Salvator Mundi’ shortly after its record-breaking auction?
The Prado Museum
The Prado Museum
The Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The National Gallery, London
The National Gallery, London
Which major auction house handled the historic sale of the ‘Salvator Mundi’?
Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s
Art Basel
Art Basel
Phillips
Phillips
Christie’s
Christie’s
What is the subject matter of the ‘Salvator Mundi’?
Still life with fruit
Still life with fruit
Portrait of a man as Christ
Portrait of a man as Christ
Large-scale historical landscape
Large-scale historical landscape
Impressionist masterpiece
Impressionist masterpiece
In which city did the record-breaking 2017 auction of the ‘Salvator Mundi’ take place?
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Paris
Paris
London
London
New York City
New York City
What term is frequently used for high-security storage facilities where extremely valuable artworks are often kept for tax and privacy reasons?
A traditional museum vault
A traditional museum vault
A private home in London
A private home in London
A ‘Freeport’
A ‘Freeport’
A commercial art gallery
A commercial art gallery
What term refers to the documented history of ownership of an object, which is crucial for determining its value and authenticity?
Appraisal
Appraisal
Authentication
Authentication
Restoration
Restoration
Provenance
Provenance
What is the additional percentage charge added to the winning bid at an auction, which covers the auction house’s overhead?
Auction Tax
Auction Tax
Reserve Markup
Reserve Markup
Buyers Premium
Buyers Premium
House Fee
House Fee
Which painting was sold in a private sale for approximately $300 million in 2015, setting a significant benchmark for modern art pricing?
‘No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)’ by Mark Rothko
‘No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)’ by Mark Rothko
‘Les Femmes d’Alger’ (Version O) by Pablo Picasso
‘Les Femmes d’Alger’ (Version O) by Pablo Picasso
‘Interchange’ by Willem de Kooning
‘Interchange’ by Willem de Kooning
‘The Card Players’ by Paul Cézanne
‘The Card Players’ by Paul Cézanne
Which organization became a major global force in the art market during the early 21st century by acquiring monumental works by artists like Paul Cézanne and Paul Gauguin?
The National Gallery of Art, DC
The National Gallery of Art, DC
The Qatar Museums Authority
The Qatar Museums Authority
The Tate Collection
The Tate Collection
The Getty Trust
The Getty Trust
Which famous post-impressionist series was sold to the state of Qatar for a price estimated at over $250 million?
‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent van Gogh
‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent van Gogh
‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch
‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch
‘Water Lilies’ by Claude Monet
‘Water Lilies’ by Claude Monet
‘The Card Players’ by Paul Cézanne
‘The Card Players’ by Paul Cézanne
In an auction context, what does the term ‘reserve price’ mean?
It is the starting bid for an auction
It is the starting bid for an auction
It is a tax exemption amount for private buyers
It is a tax exemption amount for private buyers
It is required to prove a painting is authentic
It is required to prove a painting is authentic
It is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept
It is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept
Which artist holds the most entries on the list of paintings sold for over $100 million?
Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Claude Monet
Claude Monet
What is the term for a financial arrangement where an auction house or a third party promises a seller a specific minimum price regardless of the final bidding?
A guarantee of sale
A guarantee of sale
An authenticity warranty
An authenticity warranty
A transfer of copyright
A transfer of copyright
A conflict of interest agreement
A conflict of interest agreement
Which museum famously deaccessioned Mark Rothko’s ‘Untitled (1960)’ in 2019, selling it at auction for millions of dollars to fund collection diversification?
The Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Museum
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago
Which famous Paul Gauguin painting set a world record for the most expensive painting sold when it was purchased by the Qatar Museums in 2014?
‘Where Do We Come From? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?’
‘Where Do We Come From? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?’
‘The Yellow Christ’
‘The Yellow Christ’
‘Vision After the Sermon’
‘Vision After the Sermon’
‘Nafea Faa Ipoipo’ (When Will You Marry?)
‘Nafea Faa Ipoipo’ (When Will You Marry?)
What term is used in the art market to describe high-value, stable, and historically significant artworks that are considered ‘safe’ investments?
Blue-chip art
Blue-chip art
Emerging market art
Emerging market art
Conceptual art
Conceptual art
Folk art
Folk art
Who was the lead conservator largely responsible for restoring the ‘Salvator Mundi’ before its public auction?
Martin Kemp
Martin Kemp
Christoph Luitpold Frommel
Christoph Luitpold Frommel
Dianne Dwyer Modestini
Dianne Dwyer Modestini
Luke Syson
Luke Syson
From an economic perspective, what is the primary supply-side driver for the skyrocketing prices of works by ‘Old Masters’ like Leonardo da Vinci?
The artist’s birth year
The artist’s birth year
The amount of paint on the canvas
The amount of paint on the canvas
The scarcity of works by the artist on the market
The scarcity of works by the artist on the market
The physical weight of the frame
The physical weight of the frame
In 2011, which institution included the ‘Salvator Mundi’ in a major exhibition, effectively signaling to the world that it was a verified Leonardo da Vinci?
The Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The National Gallery, London
The National Gallery, London
The Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts
The Louvre, Paris
The Louvre, Paris
Which painting became the center of a landmark legal battle over Nazi-looted art before being sold for $135 million in 2006?
‘Massacre of the Innocents’ by Peter Paul Rubens
‘Massacre of the Innocents’ by Peter Paul Rubens
‘Flag’ by Jasper Johns
‘Flag’ by Jasper Johns
‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I’ by Gustav Klimt
‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I’ by Gustav Klimt
‘Portrait of Dr. Gachet’ by Vincent van Gogh
‘Portrait of Dr. Gachet’ by Vincent van Gogh
You can do better
Not bad
Great!
If you enjoyed this, try our other quizzes. Look at our general section on fine art, trace unique creative trends, or explore unusual trivia in art curiosities.
