Pablo Picasso remains one of the most influential figures in modern art. This quiz explores the life, phases, and legendary works of the Spanish creator who redefined how we look at the world.
You will see questions about his early creative periods, his collaboration with Georges Braque, and the historical context behind his largest canvas. Some questions are straightforward, while others ask you to remember small details.
When you finish, try visiting our collections about famous artists, inspect the progress of art movements, or look closer at history’s celebrated masterpieces.
Which artistic movement did Pablo Picasso co-found alongside Georges Braque?
Cubism
Cubism
Surrealism
Surrealism
Impressionism
Impressionism
Fauvism
Fauvism
Which early artistic phase of Picasso is characterized by somber, monochromatic paintings in shades of blue and gray?
The Blue Period
The Blue Period
The Analytic Cubist Period
The Analytic Cubist Period
The African Period
The African Period
The Rose Period
The Rose Period
In which country was Pablo Picasso born?
Germany
Germany
Italy
Italy
France
France
Spain
Spain
Which period, following his Blue Period, is known for brighter colors, warmer tones, and frequent depictions of circus performers?
The Neoclassical Period
The Neoclassical Period
The Rose Period
The Rose Period
The Synthetic Cubist Period
The Synthetic Cubist Period
The Blue Period
The Blue Period
The painting ‘Guernica’ was created in direct response to the bombing of a Basque town during which conflict?
World War I
World War I
The French Revolution
The French Revolution
The Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War
The Boer War
The Boer War
Which initial phase of Cubism involved breaking down subjects into fragmented, geometric forms often using a muted palette?
Analytical Cubism
Analytical Cubism
Synthetic Cubism
Synthetic Cubism
Surrealism
Surrealism
Fauvism
Fauvism
Who was Picasso’s primary collaborator in co-founding the Cubist movement?
Joan Miró
Joan Miró
Georges Braque
Georges Braque
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp
What is the specific artistic medium of the original ‘Guernica’?
Stained glass window
Stained glass window
A mural-sized oil painting on canvas
A mural-sized oil painting on canvas
A bronze sculpture
A bronze sculpture
A digital projection
A digital projection
Who was the Russian ballerina and Picasso’s first wife?
Françoise Gilot
Françoise Gilot
Dora Maar
Dora Maar
Olga Khokhlova
Olga Khokhlova
Marie-Thérèse Walter
Marie-Thérèse Walter
Which artistic influence is widely cited as the inspiration for the distorted, mask-like faces in ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’?
Persian miniature paintings
Persian miniature paintings
Gothic cathedrals
Gothic cathedrals
African art and sculpture
African art and sculpture
Renaissance portraiture
Renaissance portraiture
What technique distinguishes Synthetic Cubism from the earlier Analytic phase?
Overlapping transparent layers of glaze
Overlapping transparent layers of glaze
Extensive use of metallic paint
Extensive use of metallic paint
Hyper-realistic shadows
Hyper-realistic shadows
Collage elements pasted onto canvas
Collage elements pasted onto canvas
In what year was ‘Guernica’ first unveiled to the public at the Paris International Exposition?
1939
1939
1937
1937
1935
1935
1941
1941
Which mythological figure frequently appeared as an alter ego or symbol in Picasso’s later works?
The Sphinx
The Sphinx
Pegasus
Pegasus
The Minotaur
The Minotaur
The Centaur
The Centaur
In which city did Picasso spend his formative years as a young artist and develop his early artistic style?
Malaga
Malaga
Barcelona
Barcelona
Paris
Paris
Madrid
Madrid
Which iconic painting from the Blue Period depicts a blind, weary musician hunched over his instrument?
The Weeping Woman
The Weeping Woman
The Old Guitarist
The Old Guitarist
The Dream
The Dream
Girl with a Mandolin
Girl with a Mandolin
For most of his life after the Spanish Civil War, Picasso refused to allow ‘Guernica’ to return to which country?
Spain
Spain
Germany
Germany
France
France
Italy
Italy
What artistic medium did Picasso explore extensively during the later decades of his life while living in the south of France?
Architecture
Architecture
Ceramics
Ceramics
Fresco painting
Fresco painting
Marble sculpture
Marble sculpture
Which figure, associated with the circus, became a recurring motif in Picasso’s Rose Period?
A harlequin
A harlequin
A beggar
A beggar
A ringmaster
A ringmaster
A toreador
A toreador
What is the estimated total number of artworks Picasso produced during his lifetime?
30,000
30,000
50,000
50,000
75,000
75,000
15,000
15,000
Which concept is central to the Cubist approach to representing subjects?
Three-dimensional objects flattened into 2D perspective
Three-dimensional objects flattened into 2D perspective
Focus on realistic portraits of aristocracy
Focus on realistic portraits of aristocracy
Emphasis on emotional, non-representational abstraction
Emphasis on emotional, non-representational abstraction
Rejection of all line work in favor of pure color fields
Rejection of all line work in favor of pure color fields
Which two animal figures act as prominent symbols in the composition of ‘Guernica’?
A lion and an eagle
A lion and an eagle
A wolf and a sheep
A wolf and a sheep
A horse and a bull
A horse and a bull
A dog and a stag
A dog and a stag
Who was Picasso’s first major muse and companion during his transition from the Blue Period to the Rose Period?
Jaqueline Roque
Jaqueline Roque
Fernande Olivier
Fernande Olivier
Sylvette David
Sylvette David
Geneviève Laporte
Geneviève Laporte
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