General Knowledge MCQs
Topic Notes: General Knowledge
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
21
Which anonymous UK-based street artist is known for his satirical and subversive graffiti?
Answer:
Banksy
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist, and film director whose real identity remains unconfirmed.
22
The 'Sfumato' technique, used famously in the Mona Lisa, involves:
Answer:
Soft, gradual blending of tones
Sfumato (Italian for 'soft' or 'blurred') is a painting technique for softening the transition between colors, mimicking an area beyond what the human eye is focusing on.
23
A 'Triptych' is a work of art divided into how many sections?
Answer:
Three
A triptych is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together.
24
What art form creates images using small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials?
Answer:
Mosaic
A mosaic is a piece of art or image made from the assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials, called tesserae.
25
The technique of laying paint or pigment on an area of the surface very thickly is called:
Answer:
Impasto
Impasto is a technique where paint is laid on an area of the surface very thickly, usually enough that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible.
26
Which painting technique involves painting on wet lime plaster so the colors become fixed as it dries?
Answer:
Fresco
Fresco (Italian for 'fresh') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ('wet') lime plaster.
27
Which composer is known for his massive symphonies, often involving huge orchestras and choirs (e.g., 'Symphony of a Thousand')?
Answer:
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was an Austro-Bohemian late-Romantic composer. His Symphony No. 8 is known as the 'Symphony of a Thousand' due to the number of performers required.
28
Who composed 'Symphonie fantastique'?
Answer:
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer. 'Symphonie fantastique' is a program symphony that tells the story of an artist's self-destructive passion.
29
Which avant-garde composer created '4′33″', a piece consisting of four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence?
Answer:
John Cage
John Cage was an American composer. '4′33″' challenges the definition of music, as the audience hears only the ambient sounds of the environment.
30
Who composed 'Rhapsody in Blue', fusing classical music with jazz?
Answer:
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer whose compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, most notably 'Rhapsody in Blue' (1924).