Nickelodeon UK Reveals Findings From New Research About How Well People Know Famous Artists

To celebrate Nicktoons UK and Ireland, starting to premiere and show brand new episodes from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" season 3 every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30am from Saturday 7th February 2015, Nickelodeon UK has unveiled the findings from their latest research which takes a look at how well people in Britain know about famous artists!


From The Mirror:

Confused Britons think Van Gogh is MANCHESTER UNITED manager and believe Picasso is a SPARKLING WINE

Others believe Italian artist Botticelli is a type of pasta and fellow painter Matisse a brand of shampoo

Van's United's man: But which one?

Some Britons think Vincent Van Gogh is the latest manager of MANCHESTER UNITED while others believe Pablo Picasso is a SPARKLING WINE.

While most people know the Red Devils boss is Louis van Gaal and 91 per cent recognised Picasso's name as that of the surrealist artist, only 32 per cent said Donatello was best known for being a sculptor.

Twenty-two per cent thought the name was more associated with FASHION.

Others think Italian artist Botticelli is a type of pasta, fellow painter Matisse a brand of shampoo and Caravaggio a type of coffee.

And when they do recognise names of old masters such as da Vinci and Michelangelo, at least half have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to thank.

However, 24 per cent still claim they are interested in art, according to the survey of 2,000 adults by TV network Nickelodeon for the launch of a new series of the famous turtle crimefighters.

Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci are well known, but only 48 per cent recognise Delacroix as an artist while others associate him with a jewellery brand or even a type of fountain.

Asked what Renoir is most famous for, 82 per cent said painting but other answers included 'a film genre', 'a car brand' and 'a type of red wine'.

One in five women (19 per cent) said Botticelli was an opera singer, five per cent think Matisse is the president of France and more people know Donatello as a turtle than sculptor.

Many Brits admit their art knowledge is gleaned from TV or films, said the study. Four in ten younger adults, aged 25-34, admit their children have picked up Spanish from the show Dora the Explorer.

And 60 per cent of those who grew up in the 1980s say they discovered the story of the Three Musketeers only through the cartoon Dogtanian when they were kids.

Tina McCann, of Nickelodeon, said: "Some people may confuse a 16th century artist with a type of coffee, but our research suggests that our collective cultural knowledge comes from a number of different and, sometimes unusual, places.

"Even though our four Turtle brothers were initially named after Renaissance masters for comic effect, it is heartening to learn that their fame could help with enlightening the nation."

Catch the all-new third season of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30am from Saturday 7th February 2015 on NickToons UK and Ireland!

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