Fayum art is a modern term given to realistic portraits which were painted on wooden boards. These dated from the Roman period. They were found by archaeologists in tombs throughout Egypt but particularly in the Fayum basin. Panel painting was a highly respected art form in the classical world and these portraits are among the best surviving from those times.
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 portraits serve to showcase the skill of ancient artists. Analyses have shown that specific facial proportions for each person were not used. The painters seem to have worked from a number of standard types, adding different hairstyles and beards. This does not take away from the impact of these works.
Hard woods such as lime, sycamore and ceder were preferred for the wooden panels. These panels were rectangular in shape and were primed with a layer of plaster before painting began. The primer prevented the pigments from disappearing into the wood. In some cases the artist would make a drawing on the primer before beginning to paint.
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.
Portraits depicted the deceased person, showing only the head and shoulders. Many of them showed the deceased at a fairly young age. The full frontal perspective and the concentration on facial features gave them a startling realism. The person was usually looking slightly to the left to add some perspective. The background was mostly monochrome.
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.
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 portraits serve to showcase the skill of ancient artists. Analyses have shown that specific facial proportions for each person were not used. The painters seem to have worked from a number of standard types, adding different hairstyles and beards. This does not take away from the impact of these works.
Hard woods such as lime, sycamore and ceder were preferred for the wooden panels. These panels were rectangular in shape and were primed with a layer of plaster before painting began. The primer prevented the pigments from disappearing into the wood. In some cases the artist would make a drawing on the primer before beginning to paint.
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.
Portraits depicted the deceased person, showing only the head and shoulders. Many of them showed the deceased at a fairly young age. The full frontal perspective and the concentration on facial features gave them a startling realism. The person was usually looking slightly to the left to add some perspective. The background was mostly monochrome.
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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