Question

chapter 15 quiz: icons were most commonly...
icons were most commonly painted in tempera on what?

multiple choice
terra cotta amphorae
gold plates
cathedral ceilings
gilded wood panels
entryways

Explanation:

Identify the core question

The question asks: "Icons were most commonly painted in tempera on what?" This relates to the traditional materials and techniques used in religious panel painting, particularly during the Byzantine and early Renaissance periods.

Analyze the medium and support

Using the Egg Tempera Technique and Painting Supports knowledge points, we know that traditional religious icons were painted using tempera (typically egg tempera). This medium requires a rigid, stable support to prevent the paint layer from cracking.

Evaluate the options

Using the Byzantine Iconography knowledge point, we can evaluate the given choices:

• terra cotta amphorae: These are clay vessels, not the standard support for devotional icons.
• gold plates: While gold leaf was heavily used for backgrounds, the structural support itself was not solid gold.
• cathedral ceilings: Large-scale paintings on ceilings were typically frescoes, not portable tempera icons.
• gilded wood panels: Wooden panels (often lime, birch, or poplar) were prepared with gesso, gilded with gold leaf, and painted with tempera. This is the classic support for icons.
• entryways: Not a standard portable painting support.

Select the correct option

The most common and historically accurate support for tempera icons is gilded wood panels.

Answer:

• (A) terra cotta amphorae
• (B) gold plates
• (C) cathedral ceilings
• (D) gilded wood panels (Correct answer)
• (E) entryways