There is an ancient form of Egyptian art called Fayum art. This art form is special in that it depicts the real portrait of a person painted onto a wooden board and later attached to them when they are mummified. The real features of the individual are captured in stunning accuracy and gives us a real idea of what individuals of the day looked like before they died.
Tradition states that these pictures were placed over the persons face and sometimes shoulders. The picture painted was of the face, sometimes shoulders and was done with extreme detail. The painting was generally of a single person, frontal view with the gaze slightly to the side. Then during the wrapping process, this was attached to the body.
The stunning images of fayum art are done of both males and females and are done of people of all ages, from infancy to elderly. Slabs of hardwood imported just for the reason of these art pieces were cut into rectangles then ground down until they were smooth enough for painting on. Often times a thin layer of plaster was also used to give a plain background for the portrait.
Paints used varied from wax to egg-based tempera. Different painting techniques produced different effects on the picture, from subtle shades to the bright, vivid tones generally found in the area on other paintings. At times, gold leaf was even used to adorn jewelry or other decorations in the painting.
The piece of wood was then placed on the face of the body and wrapped over with the cloth so you could see the face through it, giving an eery effect. Although for modern day thinking, this is somewhat creepy, for the time it was a way to honor the dead. We are lucky to have such pieces that have stood the test of time to give us an accurate picture of people of this time.
Mummy portraits were generally reserved for the upper class citizens. They were expensive extravagances and not every family could afford one. Many mummies have been found that were not decorated with Fayum art of the individual.
Tradition states that these pictures were placed over the persons face and sometimes shoulders. The picture painted was of the face, sometimes shoulders and was done with extreme detail. The painting was generally of a single person, frontal view with the gaze slightly to the side. Then during the wrapping process, this was attached to the body.
The stunning images of fayum art are done of both males and females and are done of people of all ages, from infancy to elderly. Slabs of hardwood imported just for the reason of these art pieces were cut into rectangles then ground down until they were smooth enough for painting on. Often times a thin layer of plaster was also used to give a plain background for the portrait.
Paints used varied from wax to egg-based tempera. Different painting techniques produced different effects on the picture, from subtle shades to the bright, vivid tones generally found in the area on other paintings. At times, gold leaf was even used to adorn jewelry or other decorations in the painting.
The piece of wood was then placed on the face of the body and wrapped over with the cloth so you could see the face through it, giving an eery effect. Although for modern day thinking, this is somewhat creepy, for the time it was a way to honor the dead. We are lucky to have such pieces that have stood the test of time to give us an accurate picture of people of this time.
Mummy portraits were generally reserved for the upper class citizens. They were expensive extravagances and not every family could afford one. Many mummies have been found that were not decorated with Fayum art of the individual.
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