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 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.
Two different painting techniques were used. The earliest method was encaustic, which meant the use of wax with the pigments. This produced intense colors which appeared almost like oil paints, although of course these were only discovered much later. The tempera method was also used as it was quicker and cheaper. This involved mixing the pigments with an egg base. The colors produced were milder and chalkier in appearance.
When looking at these portraits, we see young people painted at full frontal perspective in a startlingly realistic way. We only see the head and shoulders of the person with a monochrome background. Much attention was given to the facial features, particularly the eyes.
The portraits were set into the wrapping around the mummified bodies, covering the faces of the deceased. It was thought that these portraits may have been painted earlier in the life of the person. The fact that some were painted directly onto the wrappings seems to discredit this theory.
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.
The fascination with fayum art has inspired artists to recreate this ancient form today. Modern materials are used with age-old techniques to produce some striking results. The method used involves transferring of a painting onto a prepared wooden board and then treating this in various ways 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 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.
Two different painting techniques were used. The earliest method was encaustic, which meant the use of wax with the pigments. This produced intense colors which appeared almost like oil paints, although of course these were only discovered much later. The tempera method was also used as it was quicker and cheaper. This involved mixing the pigments with an egg base. The colors produced were milder and chalkier in appearance.
When looking at these portraits, we see young people painted at full frontal perspective in a startlingly realistic way. We only see the head and shoulders of the person with a monochrome background. Much attention was given to the facial features, particularly the eyes.
The portraits were set into the wrapping around the mummified bodies, covering the faces of the deceased. It was thought that these portraits may have been painted earlier in the life of the person. The fact that some were painted directly onto the wrappings seems to discredit this theory.
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.
The fascination with fayum art has inspired artists to recreate this ancient form today. Modern materials are used with age-old techniques to produce some striking results. The method used involves transferring of a painting onto a prepared wooden board and then treating this in various ways to create the desired effect.
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