Question 1

True or false: Cima da Conegliano died in poverty, forgotten by the Venetian art world that once celebrated him.

Accepted Answer

False. Cima died in relative comfort around 1517-1518. His reputation declined later, but he was not impoverished.

Question 2

True or false: Cima da Conegliano never painted secular or mythological scenes, only religious subjects.

Accepted Answer

False. While mostly religious, Cima did paint a few mythological works, like 'Endymion Asleep' and 'The Judgment of Midas'.

Question 3

True or false: Cima da Conegliano was actually a woman who disguised herself as a male painter to work in Venice.

Accepted Answer

False. Cima was male, born Giovanni Battista Cima. No historical evidence suggests he disguised his gender; this is a modern myth.

Question 4

True or false: Cima da Conegliano was the first Venetian painter to use oil paint on canvas exclusively.

Accepted Answer

False. Cima worked with both tempera and oil, often on panel. The shift to canvas was gradual, and Giovanni Bellini pioneered it earlier.

Question 5

True or false: Cima da Conegliano influenced the young Titian, who copied Cima's composition for his early 'Madonna of the Cherries'.

Accepted Answer

True. Titian's early work directly borrows the figural arrangement and landscape from Cima's 'Madonna of the Orange Tree', showing Cima's impact on the next generation.

Question 6

True or false: Cima da Conegliano's workshop produced over 100 surviving altarpieces, making him one of the most prolific painters of his era.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite a career of about 30 years, over 100 works attributed to Cima survive, showing high demand and efficient workshop production.

Question 7

True or false: Cima da Conegliano signed several works with his name written in gold leaf on the hem of the Virgin's robe.

Accepted Answer

True. In at least four altarpieces, Cima placed his signature on the hem of Mary's garment, a clever and unique artistic signature.

Question 8

True or false: Cima da Conegliano's landscapes often feature a specific mountain visible from his hometown, Mount Cansiglio.

Accepted Answer

True. Cima frequently included the distinctive profile of Monte Cansiglio in backgrounds, a personal nod to his birthplace in Conegliano.

Cima da Conegliano Trivia Questions