Note to viewers: if you had taken each of our ArtSmart Quizzes for the past eighteen years, you would now have a basic knowledge of almost 200 artists. Hopefully you have, and hopefully you have traveled further into those artists' worlds on your own.

Have you heard of Artemisia Gentileschi? She was one of the pre-eminent painters of the 17th century. Here's a chance to get acquainted with this remarkable artist.


    1. Why was Gentileschi considered "monstrous"?
    A. Because she abandoned her children
    B. Because painting was considered a male prerogative
    C. Because she stole art supplies from the local academy

answer one
    2. Which prominent Roman artist was Gentileschi introduced to?
A. Michelangelo
B. Titian
C. Caravaggio

answer two
    3. When did Gentileschi learn to read and write?
A. As an adult
B. As a precocious two year old
C. At age ten

answer three
    4. How old was Gentileschi when she painted her famous canvas, "Susanna and the Elders"?
A. Thirty five
B. Seventeen
C. Forty two

answer four
    5. When Getileschi was raped by an art teacher, what did the Judge do?
A. Forced the man to marry her
B. Sent the man to prison
C. Ordered that she be tortured

answer five
    6. After the trial, what great honor was bestowed upon Gentileschi?
A. She was named an Official at the Academy of Design
B. She was awarded the Prix de Rome
C. She was commissioned by the Pope to paint his portrait

answer six
    7. Who was Gentileschi's Florentine patron?
A. Guiseppi Uffizi
B. The Grand Duke Cosimo II
C. The Archibishop of Genoa

answer seven
    8. What was Gentileschi called on a commemorative medal?
A. A "daughter of Rome"
B. An "esteemed Italian"
C. A "celebrated woman painter"

answer eight
    9. What foreign dignitary later became Gentileschi's patron?
A. King Charles I of England
B. The Archduke of Patagonia
C. The Dauphin of France

answer nine
    10. How was Gentileschi described in the notices of her death? ?
A. As an esteemed painter
B. As a contributor to the legacy of Italian painting
C. As a nymphomaniac and adulterer

answer ten
    11. What subject matter pursued by Gentileschi particlarly inflamed contemporary men?
A. Women breast-feeding
B. Strong women resisting male dominance.
C. Male weakness in battle

answer eleven
    12. What is presumed to be the cause of Gentileschi's death?
A. Suicide
B. Bubonic plague
C. A public lynching

answer twelve
    13. What was one favorite topic of Gentileschi?
A. Historic battles
B. Women in the Bible
C. Jesus and his disciples

answer thirteen
    14. What other subject did Gentileschi paint frequently?
A. Doctors
B. Musicians
C. Warriors

answer fourteen
    15. What was the title of Gentileschi's self portrait?
A. Self-Portait as the Allegory of Painting
B. Self-Portrait as the Mayor of Rome
C. Self-Portrait as the Bride of Sisyphus

answer fifteen

SCORING:12-15 right answers makes you an art smart genius.
8-11 right and you're an art smart cookie.
5-7 right and you're having an art attack.
Fewer than 5 right and you're in art failure!