A remarkably lifelike portrait from Roman Egypt, dating back nearly 2,000 years, is slated for auction next week as part of Sotheby’s Masters Week in new York. These “Fayum mummy portraits,” created between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE, where funerary paintings placed over the faces of mummified individuals and offer a rare glimpse into the artistic and cultural practices of the period. The portrait,rendered in encaustic-a technique using beeswax and pigments-is estimated to fetch up to $350,000,reflecting the continued interest with these ancient works and their surprisingly modern aesthetic.
A remarkably well-preserved funerary portrait from Roman Egypt is heading to auction next week, offering a glimpse into artistic techniques and cultural practices of nearly two millennia ago. The artwork depicts a man with strikingly modern features – piercing hazel eyes and greying hair – and is one of approximately 900 known Fayum mummy portraits created between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE. These portraits were placed over the faces of mummified individuals, serving as a kind of mask for the afterlife.
Discoveries in the Fayum Region
Dozens of these portraits were first unearthed in the late 19th century at the Hawara site in Egypt’s Fayum region. While some examples were previously known, significant research into the portraits is relatively recent and continues today, according to Sotheby’s.
These remarkably lifelike portraits, often celebrated for their artistic skill, predate many well-known works of early Italian masters by roughly 1200 years. They represent some of the earliest surviving examples of realistic portrait painting.
Beeswax and Pigment
The portrait was created using encaustic – a technique involving hot beeswax and pigments applied to a wooden panel – and will be a featured highlight of Sotheby’s “Masters Week” sales in New York. Its estimated value is up to $350,000, driven by the exceptional vibrancy of the depiction, from the subtle lines of the skin to the confident expression. This level of detail offers valuable insight into the artistic capabilities of the period.
“It invites you to wonder about who he was and to feel his presence,” said Alexandra Olsman, Sotheby’s specialist in sculptures and ancient art. The auction house has sold over fifteen Fayum portraits over the years, but Olsman believes this particular piece is the most compelling offering since 2007, when a portrait of a young man with curly hair fetched $936,000 – more than triple its high estimate.
Reto Bollmann (bre), born in 1991, has been working at 20 Minuten’s Newsdesk since the end of 2021.
