Quiz: Are you better at identifying modern art than a child?

Abstract expressionism hasn’t got a particularly good reputation.

Mark Rothko’s block coloured paintings and Willem de Kooning’s random brush strokes (which sold for $300 million in February) have been at best misunderstood and at worst criticised as incomprehensible.

Abstract art, unlike the renaissance movements that tended to focus on realism and gave birth to famous pieces like the Mona Lisa, is defined by a distinct lack of coherency.

Researchers, led by Jenny Nissel conducted a study to prove that there is a recorded difference between abstract art and paintings created by children and animals.

The study took 18 pairs of images - one by an abstract expressionist - and the other by an animal or child, and asked 4-10 year olds to judge which was which.

Their finding proved that, children not only prefer paintings created by their peers and animals, but they are also able to tell them apart from the real thing.

Take the below quiz to see if you're as good at identifying modern art as a child:

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