Mummy Portraits Research Articles

ENCAUSTIC AS AN ANCIENT PAINTING TECHNIQUE: A FAILING TRADITION

The article highlights the peculiarities of the encaustic painting technique and the main problems of preserving this unique technique in the modern art of Ukraine. The meaning of the concept of “encaustic” is revealed. Considerable attention is paid to the technological varieties of encaustic as an ancient pictorial art. Thus, ancient authors wrote about the expressiveness and beauty of the encaustic technique, but, at the same time, “wax painting of the ancients” turned out to be one of the mysterious techniques. First of all, this is due to the fact that very few encaustic works have survived, and the description of technologies was almost absent. Thus, after studying the “Fayum portraits” found in 1887 in Middle Egypt (the Fayum oasis), it was possible to determine that the funerary masks were made in the encaustic technique. Mentions of encaustic works date back to the ancient literature of the times of imperial Rome. During the Renaissance, even Leonardo da Vinci tried to unravel the mystery of encaustic painting, but even he had very little information about this technology. According to the descriptions, it was necessary to solve a complex technological process, so the masters collected information piece by piece and experimentally implemented this technique. These were the first stages of the revival of encaustic painting, which is also called wax painting, because the basis of encaustic paints was wax. The stability of this painting technique was ensured, in particular, by the presence of various resins, linseed oil and dyes of natural origin in the composition of encaustic paints. These paints were applied layer by layer on special soils under high temperature. The exceptional artistic value of the encaustic technique made it possible to preserve it and gave the prospect of revival thanks to the creative searches of artists of the 1970-1995 years of the 20th century. Painting with wax paints meets all the requirements of modern monumental art along with frescoes and mosaics. Modern construction technologies and materials provide ample opportunities for monumental artists to solve various artistic and plastic tasks related to the application of the encaustic technique. The article also considers the role of encaustic in modern easel and monumental art. The work of modern masters of Ukraine who worked in the encaustic technique is analyzed.

‘A Lost Chapter of Ancient Art’: Archaeometric Examinations of Panel Paintings from Roman Egypt

ABSTRACT Ancient panel paintings on wood are, with the exception of the mesmerising mummy portraits, extremely rare. However, a small corpus of other types of Romano-Egyptian panel paintings is preserved in collections worldwide. The aim of this study is to explore the technical histories of these rare and intriguing artefacts. We present a comprehensive investigation of three Romano-Egyptian panel paintings from the collections of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Denmark, including their construction, materials, pigments, binding media, and dating. The panels are examined by various methods of analysis to provide much deeper insights into the materials and techniques used for their production, and to answer questions of chronology and classification. In total, this work offers a more thorough understanding of their function, significance, and original appearance, as well as insights into the art of painting during the Roman period.

Characterization of an unusual coating on funerary portraits from Roman Egypt circa 100-300AD

This paper details the investigation of a discrete coating observed on a group of Egyptian panel paintings, six mummy portraits and one funerary panel, dating from first-third century CE. Six mummy portraits in this group are encaustic, and the funerary panel is tempera using an animal glue binder. An accretion or coating has been observed on the surface and recesses of the paint layers on these panels. Examination of the portraits using ultraviolet radiation revealed an irregular visible fluorescence on the surface. On the mummy portraits, the fluorescence often extends only as far as where the linen wrappings would have secured the portrait to its mummy. Under magnification, the coating appears as a crizzled encrustation. Material exhibiting these characteristics was sampled from the surface of all seven panels. Initial analysis of samples from four panels by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) revealed the presence of egg. Subsequent analysis of the coating from all seven portraits by peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LCMSMS) confirmed egg and further characterized the coating as highly deamidated, whole hen egg, or hen egg white in one instance. Importantly, the 14C date of the coating from two portraits indicates the time of application as approximately 2000 years ago, implying that the coating, at least in those cases, is not a modern addition. This report summarizes the examination and analytical characterization of this unusual coating. Possibly applied as an aesthetic or protective layer, or a symbolic and ritual unguent, the principal function of this coating remains unknown.

The Young Lady in Pink. New Light on the Life and Afterlife of an Ancient Portrait

A Roman-Egyptian mummy portrait of a young woman in a pink tunic is part of the Allard Pierson collection in Amsterdam. The portrait is well-known and a key piece of the collection, but has received little scholarly attention so far. The life and the afterlife of the portrait are therefore poorly understood. The authors approach the portrait from different perspectives: its provenance and acquisition, the artist’s materials and techniques, the dating conventions surrounding mummy portraits and their cultural context. The authors advocate for this in-depth multidisciplinary approach primarily because it spotlights specific areas in mummy portraits (in this case, the pearl earrings) where iconography, materials and techniques and ancient socio-economic developments converge. Provenance research proved important not only for securing the object’s bona fide acquisition, but also for tracing its second-life biography. These converging perspectives effectively cast light on research areas where more work remains desirable. In lieu of secure documentation of the archaeological findspot (which is the case with most mummy portraits) this approach is a powerful tool to nonetheless compose histories that help to understand the meaning of mummy portraits in the past and in the present and provide a durable framework for future research.

Goitre in a Fayum mummy portrait from Roman Egypt (120-140 CE).

Goitre in a Fayum mummy portrait from Roman Egypt (120-140 CE).

Newly Discovered Mummy Portraits from the Necropolis of Ancient Philadelphia – Fayumبورتريهات لمومياء مُكْتَشَفَة حديثًا في جبانة فيلادلفيا القديمة – الفيوم

Throughout six scientific and systematic excavations season the Egyptian mission working at ancient Philadelphia necropolis, was able to identify the zones of different phases of occupation in the necropolis from the 3rd century BC to the 4th cent CE. Among the main research question of the excavation project was the contextualization of the mummy portrait that were found during the nineteenth century at the site, well known as the mummy portraits from Er-Rubayyât or Philadelphia mummy portraits. The last two seasons revealed a unique and complete mummy portrait as well as other fragments of mummy portraits from some well excavated context and features, this portrait could enable us to understand the original context of mummy portrait in different museum from the same site and to answer many questions regarding the mummy portrait dating.

Multi-Analytical Characterization and Radiocarbon Dating of a Roman Egyptian Mummy Portrait.

Fayum mummy portraits, painted around 2000 years ago, represent a fascinating fusion of Egyptian and Graeco-Roman funerary and artistic traditions. Examination of these artworks may provide insight into the Roman Empire’s trade and economic and social structure during one of its most crucial yet still hazy times of transition. The lack of proper archaeological documentation of the numerous excavated portraits currently prevents their chronological dating, be it absolute or relative. So far, their production period has been defined essentially on the basis of the relevant differences in their pictorial style. Our study introduces the use of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) to assess the age of a fragment of an encaustic painting belonging to the corpus of the Fayum portraits. The unexpected age resulting from 14C analysis suggests the need to reconsider previous assumptions regarding the period of production of the Fayum corpus. Furthermore, our multi-analytical, non-invasive approach yields further details regarding the fragment’s pictorial technique and constituting materials, based on spectral and morphological analysis and cross-sectional examination.

Excavate the Fayum Mummy Portraits and Bury Ancient Egyptian Stereotypes

The Fayum mummy portraits from ancient Greco–Roman Egypt are exceptional in that they are the only surviving classical (ancient Greek and Roman) panel paintings from antiquity and are antecedents o...

Flying Mummy Portraits!? An (as yet) Untapped Curricular Inspiration

“Hmm, flying mummy portraits.… Let's see,” mumbled an information booth attendant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1 as he began to key in the search term on his computer. I smiled, raised an eyeb...

Deconstructing an Ancient Egyptian Mummy Portrait

Previous articleNext article No AccessDeconstructing an Ancient Egyptian Mummy PortraitChristina Bisulca, Ellen Hanspach-Bernal, Aaron Steele, and Caroline RobertsChristina BisulcaConservation Department, Detroit Institute of Arts Search for more articles by this author , Ellen Hanspach-BernalConservation Department, Detroit Institute of Arts Search for more articles by this author , Aaron SteeleConservation Department, Detroit Institute of Arts Search for more articles by this author , and Caroline RobertsDepartment of Conservation, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Bulletin of the Detroit Institute of Arts Volume 95, Number 12021 A journal of the Detroit Institute of Arts Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/718825 Views: 98Total views on this site © 2021 The Detroit Institute of Arts. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Microstructural and chemical characterization of a purple pigment from a Faiyum mummy portrait

AbstractResults are presented from analyses that were conducted to explain the presence of chromium, detected noninvasively using energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), in the unusually large (2‐3mm diameter) rough gem‐like purple pigment particles in the paint used for a Faiyum mummy portrait. An approximately 50 μm diameter particle of the chromium‐containing purple pigment was extracted from the Portrait of a Bearded Man, dated to Roman Imperial Egypt in the second century, circa 170‐180 CE, accession #32.6 in the Walters Art Museum collection. The particle was characterized using energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence analysis, electron microscopy, diffraction, and atom probe tomography. It is demonstrated that the purple pigment particle is a heterogeneous organic pigment, specifically, a lake pigment likely derived from either plant or insect matter, which contains minor percentages of both transition metals and alkali / alkali earth metals, with nanometer‐scale crystallites of lead carbonates and sulfates. The analyses revealed for the first time the nanoscale microstructure and stratigraphy in an ancient lake pigment. Results suggest that similarities with respect to time period and place of production may be developed among unprovenienced Faiyum mummy portraits to help localize workshops or artists, using analyses focused on lake pigments to characterize specifically metal‐based mordants.

Decorated bodies for eternal life: A multidisciplinary study of late Roman Period stucco-shrouded portrait mummies from Saqqara (Egypt).

This study focuses on the multidisciplinary investigation of three stucco-shrouded mummies with mummy portrait from Egypt dating from the late 3rd to the middle of the 4th century AD, corresponding to the late Roman Period. These three mummies were excavated in the early 17th and late 19th centuries in the Saqqara necropolis near the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Two of them experienced an interesting collection history, when they became part of the collection of the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland August II in Dresden, Germany, in 1728. The investigation includes information about the mummies’ discovery, collection history and shroud decoration obtained through Egyptological expertise. In addition, information on the state of preservation, technique of artificial mummification, age at death, sex, body height and health of the deceased was achieved through computed tomography (CT) analysis. Research yielded an adult male, a middle-aged female and a young female. Due to the rather poorly preserved bodies of the male and middle-aged female, a specific technique of artificial mummification could not be ascertained. Brain and several internal organs of the well-preserved young female were identified. Wooden boards, beads of necklaces, a hairpin, and metal dense items, such as lead seals, nails and two coins or medallions were discovered. Paleopathological findings included carious lesions, Schmorl’s nodes, evidence of arthritis and a vertebral hemangioma. The study revealed insights on the decoration and burial preparation of individuals of upper socioeconomic status living in the late Roman Period, as well as comprehensive bioanthropological information of the deceased.

The infant mummy's face-Paleoradiological investigation and comparison between facial reconstruction and mummy portrait of a Roman-period Egyptian child.

In Graeco-Roman times in the Lower-Egyptian Fayoum region, a painted portrait was traditionally placed over the face of a deceased individual. These mummy portraits show considerable inter-individual diversity. This suggests that those portraits were created separately for each individual. In the present study, we investigated a completely wrapped young infant mummy with a typical mummy portrait by whole body CT analysis. This was used to obtain physical information on the infant and provided the basis for a virtual face reconstruction in order to compare it to the mummy portrait. We identified the mummy as a 3–4 years old male infant that had been prepared according to the typical ancient Egyptian mummification rites. It most probably suffered from a right-sided pulmonary infection which may also be the cause of death. The reconstructed face showed considerable similarities to the portrait, confirming the portrait’s specificity to this individual. However, there are some differences between portrait and face. The portrait seems to show a slightly older individual which may be due to artistic conventions of that period.

What Did Jesus Look Like

What Did Jesus Look Like

GC/MS Characterization of Beeswax, Protein, Gum, Resin, and Oil in Romano-Egyptian Paintings

This article presents results from a binding media survey of 61 Romano-Egyptian paintings. Most of the paintings (51) are the better-known funerary mummy portraits created using either encaustic or tempera paint medium. Samples from all the paintings (on wooden panels or linen shrouds) were analyzed with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to identify waxes, fatty acids, resins, oils, and proteins in one sample. Analytical protocols that utilized three separate derivatization techniques were developed. The first analysis identified free fatty acids, waxes, and fatty acid soaps, the second characterized oils and plant resins, and the third identified proteins. The identification of plant gums required a separate sample. Results showed that fatty acids in beeswax were present as lead soaps and dicarboxylic fatty acids in some samples was consistent with an oxidized oil. The tempera portraits were found to contain predominantly animal glue, revising the belief that egg was the primary binder used for ancient paintings. Degraded egg coatings were found on several portraits, as well as consolidation treatments using paraffin wax and animal glue. The unknown restoration history of the portraits caused uncertainty during interpretation of the findings and made the identification of ancient paint binders problematic. Also, deterioration of the wooden support, residues from mummification, biodegradation, beeswax alteration, metal soap formation, and environmental conditions before and after burial further complicated the analysis. The inherent problems encountered while characterizing ancient organic media in funerary portraits were addressed. The fourteen museums that participated in this study are members of APPEAR (Ancient Panel Paintings: Examination, Analysis, and Research), an international collaborative initiative at the J. Paul Getty Museum whose aim is to expand our understanding of ancient panel paintings through the examination of the materials and techniques used for their manufacture.

The Girl with the Golden Wreath: Four Perspectives on a Mummy Portrait

A mummy portrait of a young woman with a golden wreath is part of the archaeological collection of the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam. This portrait is covered by four authors, each from their separate perspective, namely provenance research, technical examination, museum presentation, and diversity education. Provenance research is significant not only for tracing the second-life biography of the panel, but also for assessing its bona fide authenticity. Non-invasive examinations can help identify possible underlayers, pigments and modern restorations. Museological aspects concern the contextualization of the portrait, not only as a funerary artefact, but also as an expression of physical appearance. Educational programs can be implemented to illustrate to museum visitors the relevance of ancient artefacts for modern society.

The Internal Morphology and Composition of a Purple Pigment Particle Extracted from an Ancient Faiyum Mummy Portrait

The Internal Morphology and Composition of a Purple Pigment Particle Extracted from an Ancient Faiyum Mummy Portrait

A Roman Egyptian Painting Workshop: Technical Investigation of the Portraits from Tebtunis, Egypt

Roman‐period mummy portraits are considered to be ancient antecedents of modern portraiture. However, the techniques and materials used in their manufacture are not thoroughly understood. Analytical study of the pigments as well as the binding materials helps to address questions on what aspects of the painting practices originate from Pharaonic and/or Graeco‐Roman traditions, and can aid in determining the provenance of the raw materials from potential locations across the ancient Mediterranean and European worlds. Here, one of the largest assemblages of mummy portraits to remain intact since their excavation from the site of Tebtunis in Egypt was examined using multiple analytical techniques to address how they were made. The archaeological evidence suggests that these portraits were products of a single workshop and, correspondingly, they are found to be made using similar techniques and materials: wax‐based and lead white–rich paint combined with a variety of iron‐based pigments (including hematite, goethite and jarosite), as well as Egyptian blue, minium, indigo and madder lake to create subtle variations and tones.

Investigating the use of Egyptian blue in Roman Egyptian portraits and panels from Tebtunis, Egypt

The use of the pigment Egyptian blue is investigated on a corpus of fifteen mummy portraits and Roman-period paintings from Tebtunis, Egypt, housed in the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. Egyptian blue has a strong luminescence response in the near infrared that can be exploited to created wide-field images noninvasively showing the distribution of the pigment on a work of art. A growing body of publications in the last decade highlights the increasing use of this tool and its sensitive detection limits. However, the technique is not wavelength specific. Both excitation and emission occur in a broad range. Although Egyptian blue has a strong emission in the NIR, a myriad of other compounds may emit light in this spectral region when excited in the visible. The limited number of studies including complementary analysis to verify the presence of Egyptian blue does not allow its identification on the basis of NIR luminescence alone. Through the use of in situ X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy of cross sections, this paper confirms the identification of Egyptian blue by NIR luminescence in unexpected areas, i.e., those not blue in appearance.

Bleaching of red lake paints in encaustic mummy portraits

The present paper reports on the study of the development of whitish opacity in pink paints in encaustic mummy portraits. Non-invasive measurements carried out on two encaustic portraits belonging to the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, by reflectance FTIR and UV–vis fluorescence have shown that the areas prone to the bleaching phenomenon had been painted with melted beeswax and an anthraquinone vegetal lake mixed with calcium sulphate hemihydrate and dihydrate. The hypothesis that the bleaching disease was neither related to a degradation of the dyes nor to an alteration of the wax but rather to a dehydration–hydration reaction of the CaSO4–H2O system, has been corroborated by the analyses of two microsamples from the bleached areas and ascertained by accelerated ageing experiments on encaustic models.