Question

chapter 7 quiz: of the following, what reason
of the following, what reason did renaissance artists choose fresco over mosaic for wall artwork?
multiple choice
more fragile
less costly
dried too slowly
less brilliant
more prestige

Explanation:

Analyze the question

The question asks for the reason why Renaissance artists chose fresco over mosaic for wall artwork.

Evaluate the options

• more fragile: Fresco is not chosen because it is more fragile; mosaics are highly durable.
• less costly: Mosaics require expensive materials (like gold leaf, glass tesserae, and semi-precious stones) and intensive labor. Fresco uses plaster and water-based pigments, making it significantly less costly.
• dried too slowly: Fresco (especially buon fresco) requires painting quickly before the plaster dries, so drying slowly is not the reason.
• less brilliant: Mosaics are highly reflective and brilliant; fresco has a matte finish. Artists would not choose fresco because it is less brilliant.
• more prestige: Mosaics historically carried immense prestige from the Byzantine era, so this is incorrect.

Determine the correct choice

Fresco was chosen primarily because it was far less expensive and less labor-intensive than creating large-scale mosaics.

Answer:

• more fragile
• less costly (Correct answer)
• dried too slowly
• less brilliant
• more prestige