Can You Guess The Original? Artworks and Copies
Test your eye and spot the copy
By Google Arts & Culture
One Hundred Famous Views of Edo “Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake” (1857) by Utagawa Hiroshige Shizuoka city Tokaido Hiroshige Museum of Art
Throughout the history of the arts, creators have imitated, duplicated, borrowed, and paid homage to one another. Many famous artists have recreated masterful works, but will you be able to tell which piece came first?
Luncheon on the Grass (1863) by Edouard Manet Musée d’Orsay, Paris
For your first challenge, compare Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe to the following piece. Did Manet's gentle picnic come first?
The Judgment of Paris (c. 1510/1520) by Marcantonio Raimondi after Raphael National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Or, did Raimondi's engraving of the The Judgement of Paris precede Manet's piece? Hint: This engraving is based on a drawing by Raphael.
If you guessed that the earlier artwork was The Judgement of Paris, you were correct! Not only was Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe a study of this piece, it was also influenced by Titian and other masters.
The Sower (1850) by Jean-François Millet Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
This oil painting by Jean-François Millet, The Sower , depicts a farmer planting seeds under a dark sky. The muted tones and sliver of sunlight give us the sense of dawn or dusk. Is this the copy or the source?
The sower (c. 17 - 28 June 1888) by Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890) Kröller-Müller Museum
Or was Van Gogh's vibrant painting of the same name the first to be put on canvas? Both were created in the 1800s, but which one is the original?
The Sower (1850) by Jean-François Millet Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The answer is: Millet's painting was first! In fact, Millet was a hugely influential figure in Van Gogh's work. Scroll back and forth to compare and contrast the two fabulous scenes.
Washington Crossing the Delaware (1853) Original Source: Library of Virginia
For this challenge, you'll need to guess the order of three pieces: one original and two copies. The portrayal of Washington crossing the Delaware is immediately recognizable, but which rendition is the prototype? Is it this engraving by Paul Girardet?
Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze The James Monroe Museum
Was this oil painting by Emanuel Leutze the inspiration behind the other works? Leutze was a German American artist who lived from 1816 to 1868.
Shimomura Crossing the Delaware (2010) by Roger Shimomura Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
Or did Japanese American artist Roger Shimomura influence Leutze and Girardet with this immense acrylic painting?
Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze The James Monroe Museum
Leutze's idealized portrayal was the first one to be painted, in 1851. Girardet's faithful engraving followed shortly thereafter in 1853, and Roger Shimomura's reimagining was made in 2010.
Bridge in the rain: after Hiroshige (October 1887 - November 1887) by Vincent van Gogh Van Gogh Museum
For your final trial of the quiz, pick which of these masters influenced the other. Did Vincent Van Gogh inspire Hiroshige with this image of a bridge in the rain?
One Hundred Famous Views of Edo “Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake” (1857) by Utagawa Hiroshige Shizuoka city Tokaido Hiroshige Museum of Art
Or was Hiroshige's work the predecessor? Look at the similarties and differences--can you tell which one spawned the other?
It was Utagawa Hiroshige who first captured this evocative scenario in his famed landscape series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Washington Crossing the Delaware – Evening Previous to the Battle of Trenton, December 5th, 1776 (1857–71) by Currier & Ives|George Washington The Metropolitan Museum of Art
How did you do? Were you surprised about which came first? Are there any artworks you'd like to replicate?
