What unique payment did Benton receive for his mural commission?

What unique payment did Benton receive for his mural commission?

• A. Eggs needed for the tempera paint
• B. A cash stipend
• C. Free lodging for the artist
• D. A commission for another mural

Answer: (A)

The idea here centers on the materials needed for the painting process. Benton worked in egg tempera, a technique that uses egg yolk as the binder to hold pigment in suspension. Because the binder is eggs, the most practical and direct form of payment would be eggs themselves—the very ingredients he needed to mix and apply his colors. This makes the payment strikingly tied to the medium he was using, a unique and functional form of compensation for the mural. Egg tempera distinguishes itself from other methods like oil or fresco because it relies on a material component—eggs—that isn’t just a supply but part of the painting process. Receiving eggs as payment would ensure he could immediately prepare his paints and proceed with the mural. The other options don’t fit as well because they describe more general forms of compensation or outcomes (cash, lodging, or another commission) rather than a resource directly tied to how the artwork is made.

The idea here centers on the materials needed for the painting process. Benton worked in egg tempera, a technique that uses egg yolk as the binder to hold pigment in suspension. Because the binder is eggs, the most practical and direct form of payment would be eggs themselves—the very ingredients he needed to mix and apply his colors. This makes the payment strikingly tied to the medium he was using, a unique and functional form of compensation for the mural.

Egg tempera distinguishes itself from other methods like oil or fresco because it relies on a material component—eggs—that isn’t just a supply but part of the painting process. Receiving eggs as payment would ensure he could immediately prepare his paints and proceed with the mural.

The other options don’t fit as well because they describe more general forms of compensation or outcomes (cash, lodging, or another commission) rather than a resource directly tied to how the artwork is made.