Sculpture Masterpieces
Instructions: From ancient marble to modern metal, test your knowledge of the world's greatest sculptures!
- 1.
Who sculpted the famous statue of David, completed in 1504?
ADonatelloBBerniniCMichelangeloDLeonardo da Vinci - 2.
Where is the ancient Greek sculpture 'Venus de Milo' displayed today?
AThe British MuseumBThe Louvre MuseumCThe Uffizi GalleryDThe Vatican Museums - 3.
Auguste Rodin's 'The Thinker' was originally designed as part of which larger work?
AThe Monument to BalzacBThe Burghers of CalaisCThe Gates of HellDThe Kiss - 4.
What ancient wonder of the world was a massive statue on the island of Rhodes?
AThe Statue of Zeus at OlympiaBThe Colossus of RhodesCThe Lighthouse of AlexandriaDThe Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - 5.
Which sculptor created large-scale 'Spider' sculptures that are displayed in cities around the world?
ALouise BourgeoisBGeorgia O'KeeffeCBarbara HepworthDYayoi Kusama - 6.
Michelangelo's 'Pietà,' depicting Mary holding the body of Jesus, is located in which famous building?
AThe Sistine ChapelBThe PantheonCSt. Peter's BasilicaDFlorence Cathedral - 7.
Which American sculptor created 'Bird in Space,' a sleek abstract bronze form?
AAlexander CalderBConstantin BrancusiCAlberto GiacomettiDHenry Moore - 8.
What material did Alexander Calder famously use to create his 'mobiles'?
ASheet metal and wireBWoodCGlassDClay - 9.
The ancient Egyptian Great Sphinx of Giza has the body of a lion and the head of what?
AA humanBA jackalCA ramDAn eagle - 10.
Which British sculptor is known for large reclining figure sculptures with organic, rounded forms?
AAnish KapoorBHenry MooreCDamien HirstDAnthony Gormley - 11.
Who sculpted 'The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa,' a dramatic Baroque marble sculpture in Rome?
ADonatelloBMichelangeloCGian Lorenzo BerniniDAntonio Canova - 12.
Mount Rushmore features the faces of how many U.S. presidents?
AFourBSixCThreeDFive - 13.
Alberto Giacometti is famous for what distinctive style of figure sculpture?
ALifelike hyperrealistic figuresBMassive and muscular formsCGeometric abstract blocksDExtremely tall and thin elongated figures - 14.
The Terracotta Army, thousands of life-sized clay soldiers, was buried with which Chinese emperor?
AEmperor Wu of HanBKublai KhanCEmperor TaizongDQin Shi Huang - 15.
Which French sculptor designed the Statue of Liberty?
AAuguste RodinBFrédéric Auguste BartholdiCAristide MaillolDAntoine Bourdelle
Answer Key
Michelangelo carved David from a single block of Carrara marble when he was just 26 years old. The 17-foot statue stands in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence.
The Venus de Milo, dating to around 100 BC, was discovered on the Greek island of Milos in 1820. It has been on display at the Louvre in Paris since shortly after its discovery.
'The Thinker' was originally conceived as part of Rodin's monumental bronze doors called 'The Gates of Hell,' inspired by Dante's 'Inferno.' It represented Dante himself contemplating his poem.
The Colossus of Rhodes was a 108-foot bronze statue of the sun god Helios, erected in 280 BC. It stood for only 54 years before being toppled by an earthquake.
Louise Bourgeois created her famous 'Maman' spider sculptures in the late 1990s. The largest stands over 30 feet tall and represents her mother, who was a weaver.
The 'Pietà' (1499) is displayed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. It is the only work Michelangelo ever signed, reportedly after overhearing visitors attribute it to another sculptor.
Constantin Brancusi, a Romanian-born artist who worked in Paris, created 'Bird in Space' around 1923. When it was shipped to the U.S. in 1926, customs officials tried to tax it as a manufactured object rather than art.
Alexander Calder invented the mobile — hanging kinetic sculptures made of sheet metal and wire that move with air currents. Marcel Duchamp coined the term 'mobile' for these works in 1931.
The Great Sphinx has a lion's body and a human head, believed to represent Pharaoh Khafre. Carved from limestone bedrock, it is about 240 feet long and 66 feet high.
Henry Moore became one of the most celebrated sculptors of the 20th century with his trademark reclining figures and abstract forms inspired by the human body and natural landscape.
Bernini created 'The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa' (1647-1652) for the Cornaro Chapel in Rome. The theatrical work shows the saint in a swoon as an angel pierces her heart with a golden spear.
Mount Rushmore depicts Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers carved the 60-foot faces between 1927 and 1941.
Giacometti's signature style features extremely thin, elongated bronze figures that seem to evoke existential isolation. His 'Walking Man' sculptures are among the most expensive artworks ever sold at auction.
The Terracotta Army was created to accompany Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, into the afterlife around 210 BC. Over 8,000 unique figures were discovered by farmers in 1974.
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty, which was a gift from France to the United States. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel engineered the internal iron framework. It was dedicated in 1886.