Since ancient times, artists have blended egg yolk, powdered pigment, and water to create delicately luminous paintings of remarkable durability. The great altarpieces of 14th century Siena and the 15th-century masterpieces of the Florentine Renaissance were painted in egg tempera. Four centuries later in this country, the medium was a favorite of the magic realists and many of the figurative artists working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Students will discover that egg tempera is quite economical, versatile, and well-suited…