This remarkably lifelike Fayum mummy portrait, painted in encaustic (hot wax) on a wooden panel, was placed over the face of a mummy in Roman-era Egypt. The realistic depiction of a middle-aged man with curly hair and a beard bridges ancient Egyptian burial practices with Roman portrait traditions. These Fayum portraits are some of the earliest examples of realistic portrait painting in Western art history.

Exhibition Venue

Walters Art Museum

Baltimore, United States