Quiz: Famous Art, Famous Places (10 Photos)
By Vidar
You know the artwork. Do you know the place?
A silver bean, a flower-covered puppy, an ancient pyramid. Some places will come to you straight away; others have a clue to help. Choose a city to reveal the answer and a short story behind the work. Your score appears after all ten questions.
An easy one to start: this statue watches over a city famous for Copacabana Beach. Which city?
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 🇧🇷
Christ the Redeemer has stood on Corcovado since 1931. Sculptor Paul Landowski and engineer Heitor da Silva Costa were central to its creation; the outer surface is covered in small soapstone tiles. Photo: 4FLY RJ.
Sculpture: Paul Landowski; engineering: Heitor da Silva Costa
The skyline bends around this giant silver “bean” in Millennium Park. Which city is it in?
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Chicago, Illinois, USA 🇺🇸
Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate is made from stainless steel, although its curved reflections can make it look almost liquid. Walk beneath its arch and the city, the sky and your own reflection fold into one another.
A small bronze figure, a very famous fairy tale. Which Nordic capital is her home?
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Copenhagen, Denmark 🇩🇰
Edvard Eriksen’s Little Mermaid was unveiled in 1913. Brewer Carl Jacobsen commissioned it after seeing a ballet based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story. Photo: Rasmus Flindt Pedersen; sculpture © Billedhuggeren Edvard Eriksens Arvinger.
This giant Buddha was carved into a cliff in Sichuan, China. Which city gives the statue its name?
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Leshan, Sichuan, China 🇨🇳
The Leshan Giant Buddha rises 71 metres above the river. Carved into the hillside in the eighth century, it faces the meeting of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers.
This flower-covered terrier guards a Guggenheim museum in northern Spain. Which city?
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Bilbao, Spain 🇪🇸
Jeff Koons’s Puppy turns a West Highland white terrier into a living flower sculpture. Hidden beneath the plants is a steel structure with an internal irrigation system. Photo: Erika Ede, courtesy © FMGB Guggenheim Bilbao.
A torch, a crown and a harbor skyline: which city is home to this landmark?
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New York City, USA 🇺🇸
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty, dedicated in 1886. The National Park Service explains that its familiar green surface is a patina formed as the copper oxidized. Photo: National Park Service.
The Angel of the North spreads its wings south of the River Tyne. Which town, across the river from Newcastle, is its home?
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Gateshead, England, UK 🇬🇧
Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North was installed in Gateshead in 1998. Its wings span 54 metres, wider than the sculpture is tall: the figure itself rises 20 metres.
The cap of pale stone is a clue: this is Khafre’s pyramid. On which Egyptian city’s plateau does it stand?
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Giza, Egypt 🇪🇬
Khafre’s pyramid can look taller than the Great Pyramid because it stands on higher ground, though it is actually shorter. The surviving pale stone near the summit is part of its original outer casing.
Ancient Egyptian builders; image: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Bernini’s David is caught mid-throw. Which Italian capital houses this sculpture in the Galleria Borghese?
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Rome, Italy 🇮🇹
Gian Lorenzo Bernini carved David in 1623–24. The Galleria Borghese describes him at the moment of launching his stone: the twisted body and clenched expression turn marble into an instant of action.
One last bloom: this giant metal flower stands in Recoleta, in Argentina’s capital. Which city?
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Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷
Architect Eduardo Catalano gave Floralis Genérica to the city. The 20-metre steel-and-aluminum flower was designed with moving petals that open by day and close at night. Image: Buenos Aires City Tourist Board.
Your score
Which place would you most like to see in person? Tell us your score and your pick in the comments.
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