Encaustic painting is one of the most durable methods in art history. By mixing melted beeswax with dry pigments, artists have created works that retain their vibrant colors for thousands of years.
This quiz looks at the chemistry of the wax, the famous Fayum mummy portraits, and how Jasper Johns brought the medium back into the modern spotlight with his iconic flag paintings.
When you finish this round, try more of our quizzes. You can explore different painting techniques, read about famous artists, or discover historic places of the ancient world.
What is the primary binder used in the ancient art technique known as encaustic painting?
Beeswax
Beeswax
Egg yolk
Egg yolk
Linseed oil
Linseed oil
Gum arabic
Gum arabic
What process must be applied to encaustic paint to keep it in a molten, workable state during application?
Cold water
Cold water
Chemical solvent evaporation
Chemical solvent evaporation
Sunlight exposure
Sunlight exposure
Heat
Heat
Which famous collection of ancient burial art, discovered in Egypt, is renowned for its remarkable preservation due to the durability of encaustic?
Fayum mummy portraits
Fayum mummy portraits
Impressionist landscapes
Impressionist landscapes
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Baroque still lifes
Baroque still lifes
What was the most common base material used for the iconic portraits found in the Fayum region?
Canvas stretched on frames
Canvas stretched on frames
Papyrus sheets
Papyrus sheets
Wood panels
Wood panels
Wet lime plaster
Wet lime plaster
Which 20th-century American artist brought renewed attention to encaustic by using it in his series of paintings depicting the American flag?
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko
Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock
What physical property of encaustic wax contributes most significantly to its extraordinary long-term durability?
Fast drying time without heat loss
Fast drying time without heat loss
Low cost of raw materials
Low cost of raw materials
High resistance to moisture
High resistance to moisture
Superior glossy finish compared to oil
Superior glossy finish compared to oil
The term ‘encaustic’ is derived from a word in which language, meaning ‘to burn in’?
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Greek
Greek
Aramaic
Aramaic
Latin
Latin
During which decade did Jasper Johns first begin his influential work with the American flag using encaustic?
1950s
1950s
1970s
1970s
1960s
1960s
1940s
1940s
Before the Roman period in Egypt, which delicate, egg-based medium was more commonly used, which lacked the inherent moisture resistance of encaustic?
Tempera
Tempera
Fresco
Fresco
Oil painting
Oil painting
Watercolor
Watercolor
The mummy portraits discovered in the Fayum oasis are most closely associated with the burial traditions of which civilization?
The Romans
The Romans
The Byzantines
The Byzantines
The Carthaginians
The Carthaginians
The Minoans
The Minoans
What substance is frequently added to beeswax in modern encaustic painting to increase the hardness and melting point of the medium?
Linseed oil
Linseed oil
Damar resin
Damar resin
Varnish spray
Varnish spray
Turpentine
Turpentine
What structural technique is characteristic of Jasper Johns’s encaustic flag paintings?
Blending pigments to create highly realistic 3D shading
Blending pigments to create highly realistic 3D shading
Layering newsprint collage underneath and within the wax
Layering newsprint collage underneath and within the wax
Applying a high-gloss synthetic varnish over the final layer
Applying a high-gloss synthetic varnish over the final layer
Etching lines directly into a metallic gold leaf base
Etching lines directly into a metallic gold leaf base
What property of encaustic paint gives it superior color stability over centuries compared to traditional oil paints?
It is highly soluble in water for easy restoration
It is highly soluble in water for easy restoration
It does not yellow or darken with age
It does not yellow or darken with age
It contains active enzymes that repel wood-boring insects
It contains active enzymes that repel wood-boring insects
It absorbs UV light to emit a continuous fluorescent glow
It absorbs UV light to emit a continuous fluorescent glow
Besides the medium itself, what environmental factor played a major role in preserving the Fayum mummy portraits?
The anaerobic environment of wet peat bogs
The anaerobic environment of wet peat bogs
The sub-zero temperatures of the burial caves
The sub-zero temperatures of the burial caves
The hot and dry desert climate of Egypt
The hot and dry desert climate of Egypt
The high humidity of the subterranean tombs
The high humidity of the subterranean tombs
Which ancient Roman tool was a heated metal spatula used for smoothing and blending wax in encaustic painting?
Cestrum
Cestrum
Cauterium
Cauterium
Strigil
Strigil
Stylus
Stylus
In what period was the iconic ‘Flag’ painting by Jasper Johns created?
1962-1963
1962-1963
1950-1951
1950-1951
1954-1955
1954-1955
1958-1959
1958-1959
What is a unique physical characteristic of an encaustic painting even long after it has been finished?
It dissolves in direct sunlight
It dissolves in direct sunlight
It remains thermoplastic indefinitely
It remains thermoplastic indefinitely
It is highly flammable once cured
It is highly flammable once cured
It requires a permanent chemical varnish seal
It requires a permanent chemical varnish seal
What do the Fayum mummy portraits depict?
Hieroglyphic narrations of the afterlife
Hieroglyphic narrations of the afterlife
Detailed maps of the Nile
Detailed maps of the Nile
Abstract depictions of gods
Abstract depictions of gods
Realistic portraits of the deceased
Realistic portraits of the deceased
Why is encaustic considered a structurally ‘self-contained’ medium?
Beeswax is a synthetic product
Beeswax is a synthetic product
Beeswax and resin do not require a separate binder
Beeswax and resin do not require a separate binder
It requires a specialized kiln for every project
It requires a specialized kiln for every project
It can only be painted in black and white pigment
It can only be painted in black and white pigment
How many stars were painted on Jasper Johns’s original 1954 ‘Flag’ painting?
48 stars
48 stars
50 stars
50 stars
46 stars
46 stars
49 stars
49 stars
Which ancient author is the most comprehensive primary historical source for our understanding of the existence and use of encaustic paintings in the Greco-Roman world?
Aristotle
Aristotle
Tacitus
Tacitus
Herodotus
Herodotus
Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
What is the primary physical vulnerability of a finished encaustic painting?
It cannot be layered due to structural cracking
It cannot be layered due to structural cracking
The surface is easily scratched by a soft cloth
The surface is easily scratched by a soft cloth
It creates toxic fumes during the curing process
It creates toxic fumes during the curing process
The wax can remelt if exposed to extreme heat
The wax can remelt if exposed to extreme heat
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