Mummy Portraits and Roman Portraiture

Abstract

The portrait as a record of an individual’s personal appearance in his or her lifetime has long been regarded as one of the most successful and enduring genres of Roman art. Some Roman portraits were set up in public areas, like modern commemorative statues of distinguished individuals. Many more were placed in tombs; as in many modern societies, surviving relatives remembered their loved ones with an image recalling their appearance in life. However, careful study of the portraits reveals that the physical appearance of the subjects offers a considerably more varied picture than their dress. It does indeed appear that the artists of the mummy portraits recorded the personal features of their subjects. Thus a pair of portraits from the same tomb at er-Rubayat were first linked together by observation of shared physiognomical features.