Mummy portrait of a man

Summary

The portrait of a young man is well-preserved and is rendered on a wooden panel with a white painted background. Originally, the panel was fastened on the face of a mummy. The portrait is painted in tempera and encaustic. The hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes of the young man are rendered in black. The skin is rendered in colours of light brown, white and pinkish. His clothing is rendered with white, yellow and red paint.

Description of object

The portrait of a young man is well-preserved and is rendered on a wooden panel with a white painted background. The portrait is painted in tempera and encaustic. The man has short, black hair rendered in wavy locks combed forward, with locks hanging down the forehead. He has wide, bushy eyebrows rendered in black. His eyes are large and painted in dark brown. Eyelashes are also indicated. The ears are rendered close to the head and his nose is prominent. His mouth is wide, with full lips rendered with a rose-colour. The chin is pointed and lines are indicated on his neck, suggested a slight turn of the head. The skin is rendered in colours of light brown, white and pinkish. The young man is wearing a white chiton and a white mantle folded over his left shoulder. The mantle is painted yellow along the edges and yellow bands are also visible on the chiton. A red clavus is rendered on the right shoulder of the young man.

Choice of methods

Technical imaging

• UV
• VIL
• IR

Bibliography

(1892) Katalog zu Theodor Graf’s Gallerie antiker Porträts aus hellenistischer Zeit, Leipzig, 23 (48).

V. Schmidt (1908), Den ægyptiske Samling, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, København, E 527.

M. Mogensen (1930), Den ægyptiske Samling, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, København, A 597.

K. Parlasca (1966), Mümienporträts und verwandte Denkmäler , Deutsches Archäologisches Instituts, Wiesbaden, 245, no. 48, 268.

K. Parlasca (1980), Repertorio d’arte dell’Egitti greco-romano, a cura di A. Adriani, serie B, vol. III. Klaus Parlasca, Ritratti di Mumie, Tavole 60-120, numeri 247-496, Palmermo 1977, 34, no. 543, Tav. 131 (4).

B. Borg (1996), Mumienporträts, Chronologie und kulturelle Kontext, Deutsches Archäologisches Instituts, Mainz, 75, 94ff, 99, 107, Taf. 18 (2).

B. Borg (1998), ‘Der zeierlichste Anblick der Welt…’ Ägyptische Porträtmumien, Sonderhefte der Antiken Welt, Zaberns Bildbände zur Archäologie, Mainz, 82, Abb. 100, 88.

K. Parlasca & H. Seemann (1999), Augenblicke, Mumienporträts und ägyptische Grabkunst aus römischer Zeit, Eine Ausstellung der Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt 30. Januar bis 11. April 1999, München, 191, no. 94.

M. Jørgensen (2001), Egypt III, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, 330-331, cat. no. 34.