Salvador Dalí remains one of the most eccentric and recognizable figures in modern art. This trivia quiz explores the painter’s life, his bizarre creative habits, and his most famous melting masterpieces.
You will face questions about his collaborations with filmmakers, his signature physical style, and the recurring symbols in his paintings.
Once you finish, why not explore our quizzes on famous artists, browse other historic art movements, or see how well you know global painting techniques?
In which city is the famous Salvador Dalí painting, The Persistence of Memory, permanently housed?
Madrid
Madrid
Paris
Paris
London
London
New York City
New York City
What is the most iconic imagery featured in The Persistence of Memory?
Floating eyes
Floating eyes
Melting clocks
Melting clocks
Burning giraffes
Burning giraffes
Flying elephants
Flying elephants
In which country was Salvador Dalí born?
France
France
Spain
Spain
Portugal
Portugal
Italy
Italy
Which physical feature became a signature part of Dalí’s public persona?
His wooden cane
His wooden cane
His monocle
His monocle
His bowler hat
His bowler hat
His long mustache
His long mustache
Dalí was renowned for his technical skill, often drawing deep inspiration from the precise painting techniques of which historical period?
The Renaissance
The Renaissance
The Victorian Era
The Victorian Era
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
The Roman Empire
The Roman Empire
With which director did Dalí collaborate on the groundbreaking 1929 surrealist short film Un Chien Andalou?
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Luis García Berlanga
Luis García Berlanga
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
In the film Un Chien Andalou, there is a famous and shocking scene involving the slicing of what?
A sheep eye
A sheep eye
A cat eye
A cat eye
A cow eye
A cow eye
A horse eye
A horse eye
Dalí’s surrealist approach was heavily influenced by the psychoanalytic theories of which famous figure?
Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler
William James
William James
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Who was the multifaceted woman who served as Dalí’s lifelong muse, manager, and wife?
Gala
Gala
Leonora Carrington
Leonora Carrington
Lee Miller
Lee Miller
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
Dalí collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock on a dream sequence for which 1945 film?
Spellbound
Spellbound
Psycho
Psycho
Notorious
Notorious
Vertigo
Vertigo
Which of Dalí’s famous paintings features a high-angle view of a floating Christ on a cross?
The Dream caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate
The Dream caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate
Galatea of the Spheres
Galatea of the Spheres
The Hallucinogenic Toreador
The Hallucinogenic Toreador
Christ of Saint John of the Cross
Christ of Saint John of the Cross
In which city is the Dalí Theatre-Museum, designed by the artist himself, located?
Figueres, Spain
Figueres, Spain
Madrid, Spain
Madrid, Spain
Paris, France
Paris, France
New York City, USA
New York City, USA
Which animal did Dalí combine with a telephone to create a famous surrealist sculpture?
Lobster
Lobster
Crab
Crab
Frog
Frog
Octopus
Octopus
Dalí was a leading figure in which major 20th-century art movement?
Dadaism
Dadaism
Abstract Expressionism
Abstract Expressionism
Cubism
Cubism
Surrealism
Surrealism
Which object did Dalí frequently use in his paintings, representing both life and the prenatal?
Apple
Apple
Key
Key
Hourglass
Hourglass
Egg
Egg
What did Dalí call the self-induced mental state he used to create his art?
Synthetic realism
Synthetic realism
Automatism
Automatism
Paranoic-critical method
Paranoic-critical method
Andersen
Andersen
In 1976, Dalí painted a famous portrait of a historical figure that, when viewed from a distance, transforms into a portrait of his wife Gala; who was that figure?
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Don Quixote
Don Quixote
In The Persistence of Memory, what is crawling over the face of the closed orange pocket watch?
Flies
Flies
Spiders
Spiders
Ants
Ants
Bees
Bees
Dalí collaborated on an animated film project titled Destino with which major studio head?
Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Orson Welles
Orson Welles
Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
In his later life, Dalí’s ‘Nuclear Mysticism’ phase was characterized by a focus on what?
Speed and lack of detail
Speed and lack of detail
Total rejection of classical rules
Total rejection of classical rules
Heavy use of dark, muddy tones
Heavy use of dark, muddy tones
Scientific and mathematical precision
Scientific and mathematical precision
Which painting is housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York?
Metamorphosis of Narcissus
Metamorphosis of Narcissus
The Great Masturbator
The Great Masturbator
The Persistence of Memory
The Persistence of Memory
The Burning Giraffe
The Burning Giraffe
Which exotic animal was Dalí famously photographed walking on a leash in public?
Anteater
Anteater
Sloth
Sloth
Armadillo
Armadillo
Capybara
Capybara
You can do better
Not bad
Great!
If you enjoyed this, check out our trivia on symbols in art, classic sculpture, or discover famous museums and galleries housing legendary works.
