Leyster Self-Portrait Quiz

spell the artist and title correctly

What is the subject of Judith Leyster's Self-Portrait?

• A. A landscape

• B. A still life

• C. A genre painting of a fiddler

• D. A portrait of a wealthy family

Answer explanation

Judith Leyster’s Self-Portrait is a painting about painting. We see the artist sitting in front of an unfinished canvas, palette and brushes in hand, turning towards us in a brief moment of rest, smiling with the easy confidence of a master painter.

a painting of her painting a painting... lol

What does Judith Leyster's choice of clothes in the self-portrait depict?

• A. Her actual painting attire

• B. Her best clothes

• C. Her religious beliefs

• D. Her social status

Answer explanation

She’s wearing her best clothes, not the clothes she would have actually worn to paint in. This choice of clothes depicts the artist as an important member of society, rather than a mere craftsman.

How would you describe Judith Leyster's brushwork in the self-portrait?

• A. Precise and detailed

• B. Bold and expressive
  loose and free

• C. Smooth and blended

• D. Delicate and intricate

What allowed Dutch painters like Judith Leyster more freedom in choosing their subject matter?

• A. Patronage from the Catholic Church

• B. Support from wealthy families

• C. Selling paintings to merchants and families

• D. Government funding for the arts

Answer explanation

 The Dutch Republic was a Protestant country, so Dutch painters were not bound to the Catholic Church or wealthy families in the way the Renaissance artists were.

Why was Judith Leyster's work forgotten after her death?

• A. She stopped painting

• B. Her paintings were destroyed

• C. Her work was misattributed to other artists

• D. She was not considered a skilled painter

Answer explanation

In the late nineteenth century, her paintings were rediscovered and reevaluated. Today she is considered an important Dutch Baroque painter. 

Leyster was smart, tricky and quick witted by using herself as a subject in the painting... What was her purpose?

• To show her worth as a painter.

• To advertise her work and skill

• To grab an opportunity to become a professional painter even though that was uncommon for wormen

• To become a "teacher" artist leading workshops for painting.