Archaeologists have unearthed some very interesting finds from tombs in Egypt. These are wooden panels with portraits painted on them. These mummy portraits, or fayum art, as they are now known, give us a fascinating glimpse into ancient times. They are the best surviving examples of panel painting which used to be a highly respected art form.
Fayum portraits are also important for the way they document culture. They were thought to represent the upper classes of society. This would have included leaders in government, the military and the church as well as wealthy families. Not everyone could afford a portrait as many mummies were found without one. It is clear from the style that the portraits come from Greek tradition. This is understandable as there were many Greeks who settled in Egypt after it was conquered by Alexander the Great.
Fayum portraits are also important for the way they document culture. They were thought to represent the upper classes of society. This would have included leaders in government, the military and the church as well as wealthy families. Not everyone could afford a portrait as many mummies were found without one. It is clear from the style that the portraits come from Greek tradition. This is understandable as there were many Greeks who settled in Egypt after it was conquered by Alexander the Great.
These ancient artists showed considerable skill, producing works which still have a great impact when viewed today. Analysis with modern methods has revealed that they had a number of standard types they worked from, rather than using individual facial proportions. The distinctive look of a particular individual was then achieved by what was added such as facial features and hairstyles.
The boards these portraits on were made of hard woods such as ceder or cyprus. Panels were cut into rectangles and then prepared with a primer. The primer was necessary in order for the colors to appear as vivid as possible and not sink into the wood.
The paint used was made up of pigments and a binder mixed with them. The earliest technique for portraits was a combination of the pigments and wax (encaustic). This technique produced paintings which seemed like oil paintings, even though oil paint had not yet been discovered. The colors produced were very vivid and superior to the tempera method which came later. Tempera was cheaper and quicker to apply but colors were not as intense. Pigments were mixed with an egg base rather than wax.
Most of the paintings portray the deceased in their youth, showing only the head and sometimes the shoulders. The background was monochrome and the person would usually be looking slightly to the left which added some depth. The images are very life-like, appearing almost three-dimensional.
The portraits were used to cover the faces of the mummified bodies, being mounted into the bands of cloth that were used for wrapping. In this way, they gave an opening almost like a window, showing the face of the deceased person. Portraits were occasionally painted directly onto the wrappings of the mummy.
Today, mummy portraits are found in many museums around the world such as the British Museum and the Louvre. The vividness of the colors have been preserved, most likely due to the fact that Egypt has a dry, hot climate. The intensity of colors together with the realistic nature of the images, makes them arresting.
With the admiration of the
The boards these portraits on were made of hard woods such as ceder or cyprus. Panels were cut into rectangles and then prepared with a primer. The primer was necessary in order for the colors to appear as vivid as possible and not sink into the wood.
The paint used was made up of pigments and a binder mixed with them. The earliest technique for portraits was a combination of the pigments and wax (encaustic). This technique produced paintings which seemed like oil paintings, even though oil paint had not yet been discovered. The colors produced were very vivid and superior to the tempera method which came later. Tempera was cheaper and quicker to apply but colors were not as intense. Pigments were mixed with an egg base rather than wax.
Most of the paintings portray the deceased in their youth, showing only the head and sometimes the shoulders. The background was monochrome and the person would usually be looking slightly to the left which added some depth. The images are very life-like, appearing almost three-dimensional.
The portraits were used to cover the faces of the mummified bodies, being mounted into the bands of cloth that were used for wrapping. In this way, they gave an opening almost like a window, showing the face of the deceased person. Portraits were occasionally painted directly onto the wrappings of the mummy.
Today, mummy portraits are found in many museums around the world such as the British Museum and the Louvre. The vividness of the colors have been preserved, most likely due to the fact that Egypt has a dry, hot climate. The intensity of colors together with the realistic nature of the images, makes them arresting.
With the admiration of the
Most of the paintings portray the deceased in their youth, showing only the head and sometimes the shoulders. The background was monochrome and the person would usually be looking slightly to the left which added some depth. The images are very life-like, appearing almost three-dimensional.
The portraits were used to cover the faces of the mummified bodies, being mounted into the bands of cloth that were used for wrapping. In this way, they gave an opening almost like a window, showing the face of the deceased person. Portraits were occasionally painted directly onto the wrappings of the mummy.
Today, mummy portraits are found in many museums around the world such as the British Museum and the Louvre. The vividness of the colors have been preserved, most likely due to the fact that Egypt has a dry, hot climate. The intensity of colors together with the realistic nature of the images, makes them arresting.
With the admiration of the fayum art form, has come the inspiration to recreate it. Of course the best modern materials are used for this process, which involves transferring an image onto a wooden panel which has been specially prepared. Once the image has been transferred, the real work starts with artists using various materials and utensils to create the desired effect.
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