The Fascination Of Fayum Art

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.

When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, many of the Greeks settled in Egyptian cities like Cairo. One can see the influence they had in these portraits as they are definitely more of Greek tradition than Egyptian. Many mummies were found without portraits so it is likely that only the rich could afford them. They give us some insight into the culture of the time. They are mostly of the upper class, including wealthy families, government and military officials as well as religious dignitaries.

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.

Hard woods such as lime, sycamore and ceder were preferred for the wooden panels. These panels were rectangular in shape and were primed with a layer of plaster before painting began. The primer prevented the pigments from disappearing into the wood. In some cases the artist would make a drawing on the primer before beginning to paint.

The paint used was made up of pigments and a binder mixed with them. The earliest technique for portraits was a combination of the pigments and wax (encaustic). This technique produced paintings which seemed like oil paintings, even though oil paint had not yet been discovered. The colors produced were very vivid and superior to the tempera method which came later. Tempera was cheaper and quicker to apply but colors were not as intense. Pigments were mixed with an egg base rather than wax.

Portraits depicted the deceased person, showing only the head and shoulders. Many of them showed the deceased at a fairly young age. The full frontal perspective and the concentration on facial features gave them a startling realism. The person was usually looking slightly to the left to add some perspective. The background was mostly monochrome.

The portraits were used to cover the faces of the mummified bodies, being mounted into the bands of cloth that were used for wrapping. In this way, they gave an opening almost like a window, showing the face of the deceased person. Portraits were occasionally painted directly onto the wrappings of the mummy.

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.

With the admiration of the fayum art form, has come the inspiration to recreate it. Of course the best modern materials are used for this process, which involves transferring an image onto a wooden panel which has been specially prepared. Once the image has been transferred, the real work starts with artists using various materials and utensils to create the desired effect.

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The Fascination Of Fayum Art