Richard III paintings and palaces, looking at art and architecture

Richard III Quiz - Paintings and Palaces (Questions)

Paintings and Palaces will test your knowledge of art and architecture.

Art during the Middle Ages was most often inspired by religion. It was a time when people were devoted to their faith and consequently most art of the time has a religious theme. It was also a time when the ancient world was drawing near to the modern, and pieces from the 15th century, the time of the Wars of the Roses, were a merging of ancient and modern styles. Unfortunately few pieces of Medieval art survive today, but those which we do have give us some insight into their methods and their minds.

For a larger view, simply click on the images.

Paintings of the Middle Ages had been slowly increasing in realism. Those of the 15th century (like the one pictured) were between two periods of art history. Which two?

[ ]	Gothic and Renaissance
[ ]	Impressionist and Renaissance
[ ]	Gothic and Classical
[ ]	Impressionist and Classical

Medieval churches were decorated with gargoyles. These had three functions. Which of the following were they NOT used for?

[ ]	To frighten the congregation
[ ]	To drain rainwater
[ ]	To frighten evil spirits
[ ]	To help balance the building

In the Middle Ages walls were often decorated with murals. One particular kind of wall painting is known as a fresco. What is it that differentiates frescos from other kinds of murals?

[ ]	They are the only kind to be painted in colour
[ ]	They are the only kind to be painted onto ceilings
[ ]	They are the only kind to be painted onto wet plaster
[ ]	They are the only kind to be painted onto outside walls

A great deal of money was spent on funeral art by the nobility, as the pictured tomb of a Burgundian nobleman shows. Effigies of the deceased were carved and laid on top of the tombs, along with other adornments. The tomb of Edward the Confessor was decorated with what?

[ ]	Silver crucifixes and images of Christ
[ ]	Gold images of kings and saints
[ ]	Silver scenes from Edward's life
[ ]	A solid gold, life-size effigy of Edward

Before canvas became popular, paintings (like the early 15th century piece pictured) were often painted onto pieces of wood. What were such paintings called?

[ ]	Panel paintings
[ ]	Screen paintings
[ ]	Board paintings
[ ]	Rigid paintings

Two architect brothers, Robert and William Vertue, worked together on the rebuilding of which abbey (pictured) in the 1490s?

[ ]	Whitby Abbey
[ ]	Bath Abbey
[ ]	Pershore Abbey
[ ]	Battle Abbey

Stained glass windows were a popular form of art in the Middle Ages. Whereabouts is the pictured window, the oldest of its kind in England?

[ ]	London
[ ]	Lancaster
[ ]	York
[ ]	Canterbury

One of the most beautiful of England's churches is the Church of St Bartholomew in Crewkerne, Somerset (pictured). It was built in the 15th century and designed by which architect?

[ ]	William Smyth
[ ]	Christopher Wren
[ ]	Henry Jones
[ ]	Ignatius Scoles

Books, especially bibles, were often decorated with coloured pictures and stylised letters. What were books carrying these decorations called?

[ ]	Bright manuscripts
[ ]	Illustrated manuscripts
[ ]	Illuminated manuscripts
[ ]	Coloured manuscripts

10.

Henry VII had a chapel built and named after him (pictured). It was added to which famous church?

[ ]	Westminster Abbey
[ ]	St Paul's Cathedral
[ ]	Glastonbury Abbey
[ ]	Lincoln Cathedral

Richard III Quiz - Paintings and Palaces (Answers)

Paintings of the Middle Ages had been slowly increasing in realism. Those of the 15th century (like the one pictured) were between two periods of art history. Which two?

[x]	Gothic and Renaissance
[ ]	Impressionist and Renaissance
[ ]	Gothic and Classical
[ ]	Impressionist and Classical

The Gothic period, with its magnificent architecture, was coming to an end and the Renaissance was about to begin. Works done between the two periods, in the mid-15th century, had hints of both genres

Medieval churches were decorated with gargoyles. These had three functions. Which of the following were they NOT used for?

[ ]	To frighten the congregation
[ ]	To drain rainwater
[ ]	To frighten evil spirits
[x]	To help balance the building

Their main use was to spout water which had collected in the gutters, but they also represented demonic evil to the common folk. Gargoyles were also thought to scare evil spirits away from the church, keeping the inside safe and holy

In the Middle Ages walls were often decorated with murals. One particular kind of wall painting is known as a fresco. What is it that differentiates frescos from other kinds of murals?

[ ]	They are the only kind to be painted in colour
[ ]	They are the only kind to be painted onto ceilings
[x]	They are the only kind to be painted onto wet plaster
[ ]	They are the only kind to be painted onto outside walls

The name fresco comes from the Italian for fresh. They were painted onto freshly laid lime plaster and when it set, the painting became an integral part of the wall. Perhaps the most famous fresco is 'The Last Supper', painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1490s

[ ]	Silver crucifixes and images of Christ
[x]	Gold images of kings and saints
[ ]	Silver scenes from Edward's life
[ ]	A solid gold, life-size effigy of Edward

Edward was the patron saint of England until the Normans replaced him with the Turkish Saint George. He was admired by King Henry III who built an impressive shrine for Edward, the king who had ruled England 200 years before

Before canvas became popular, paintings (like the early 15th century piece pictured) were often painted onto pieces of wood. What were such paintings called?

[x]	Panel paintings
[ ]	Screen paintings
[ ]	Board paintings
[ ]	Rigid paintings

Often the panel paintings were painted on several pieces of wood which were joined together. Church altars were decorated by panel paintings called altarpieces, fitted with moving side panels and hinges. These, as with so much of Medieval art, depicted religious and biblical subjects

Two architect brothers, Robert and William Vertue, worked together on the rebuilding of which abbey (pictured) in the 1490s?

[ ]	Whitby Abbey
[x]	Bath Abbey
[ ]	Pershore Abbey
[ ]	Battle Abbey

The Bishop of Bath and Wells visited the Abbey in 1499 and found it in ruins. He undertook to have it rebuilt and the Vertue brothers are reported to have said of their work, "Ther shal be noone so goodeley, neither in England nor in France". Robert died in 1506 and his brother William in 1527

Stained glass windows were a popular form of art in the Middle Ages. Whereabouts is the pictured window, the oldest of its kind in England?

[ ]	London
[ ]	Lancaster
[x]	York
[ ]	Canterbury

The window depicts the Bible scene, 'The Tree of Jesse' and was made for York Minster around 1170. The windows helped to explain Bible stories to the congregation who were, for the most part, illiterate. Stained windows and other church decorations have been nicknamed the Poor Man's Bible

One of the most beautiful of England's churches is the Church of St Bartholomew in Crewkerne, Somerset (pictured). It was built in the 15th century and designed by which architect?

[x]	William Smyth
[ ]	Christopher Wren
[ ]	Henry Jones
[ ]	Ignatius Scoles

Smyth was a Gothic architect and is credited with designing parts of Wells Cathedral, Sherborne Abbey and Milton Abbey. He died in 1490, shortly after the end of the Wars of the Roses

Books, especially bibles, were often decorated with coloured pictures and stylised letters. What were books carrying these decorations called?

[ ]	Bright manuscripts
[ ]	Illustrated manuscripts
[x]	Illuminated manuscripts
[ ]	Coloured manuscripts

The books were often decorated with gold or silver and were very expensive. Thousands of them have been preserved and represent most of the examples of Medieval painting still in existence today

10.

Henry VII had a chapel built and named after him (pictured). It was added to which famous church?

[x]	Westminster Abbey
[ ]	St Paul's Cathedral
[ ]	Glastonbury Abbey
[ ]	Lincoln Cathedral

The splendour of the chapel led to it being called "the wonder of the world" by John Leland, a 16th century poet. It contains the tombs of several monarchs descended from Henry, as well as that of Henry himself. Edward VI, Elizabeth I, Mary I, James I, Charles II and Mary Queen of Scots are all interred there. It was designed by Reginald Bray who died in 1503