Fayum portrait: masterpieces of world painting

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

At the beginning of the 17th century, in one of the studied burials, an Italian traveler discovered exotic portraits that caused a real shock among Europeans - they were so different from others.

Important historical find

However, the archaeological discovery of mummies in 1887 near the city of Fayum, inhabited by the Egyptians in antiquity, gained real fame. After the conquests of A. Macedonian, the Greeks and Romans also took their place there. The funeral cult associated with the embalming of the dead is undergoing its changes. If earlier the Egyptians put various masks on the face of a mummified body enclosed in a sarcophagus, which were not realistic images of the deceased, then local artists painted three-dimensional portraits with wax paints on decay-resistant wood, sometimes on canvases that were pasted on a board.

The Fayum oasis, which revealed the unknown sides of the work of ancient artists, gave its name to the picturesque images of the dead, which made a truly real cultural revolution at that time. Portraits, cut to the right size, were attached to the head of the mummy: against the background of white bandages, as if from a window, lookedrealistic image of the deceased person.

Paint techniques

The artists used a special encaustic technique, which involved applying paints directly to the tree without pre-treatment. The Fayum portrait was an image of the deceased, which was applied with brushes and heated metal rods. This work was very laborious, requiring special skills, since corrections in the portrait were not allowed. Due to the high temperature, carefully prepared wax paints melted, forming an uneven surface when solidified, creating a volume effect. In addition, the craftsmen used gold sheets, emphasizing the background, wreaths on the head or any details of clothing.

Another technique used in painting funeral portraits of people is tempera. Images based on pigments mixed with animal glue were painted on a matte surface with brushes with a less noticeable contrast of light and shadow. Scientists note the longevity of such images: the Fayum portraits of Ancient Egypt from ancient painting are the best preserved, and they have survived to this day without losing their color brightness and without succumbing to temporary changes.

Roman art depicting the dead

We must not forget that the writing of ritual portraits was part of the traditions of the Roman Empire, only the images did not become part of the funeral cult, and the images of the deceased ancestors and deceased emperors were kept in courtyards called atriums. The stylistic features were similar topainting Fayum portraits, however, archaeologists have discovered a small fraction of works of Roman art, but the ancient masterpieces of world painting of the Egyptians, according to scientists, have come down to posterity in such good condition due not only to the unique technique of applying paints, but also to the arid climate of the country.

Resemblance to iconography

The portraits created millennia ago, which became a real miracle in world art, conveyed to the descendants living images of people. The unique images of the ancient Egyptians, who lived during the time of Hellenism and Roman power, did not just convey the appearance of a person. Huge sad eyes, looking through the observers, as if they see something that is beyond the eyes of the living.

It is no coincidence that under the influence of such realistic images, located on the other side of life, the canons of icon painting began to form. But do not forget that these are still ritual portraits, not intended for contemplation of the living, but they were created exclusively for burial, because the Egyptians always attached great importance to the afterlife.

Funeral portrait as a forerunner of icon painting

In the future, Byzantine icon painting is influenced by the work of ancient masters who paint on wood with wax paints and use the thinnest plates of gold leaf. The gaze on ritual portraits, directed to another world, gradually migrates to the religious art of Byzantium. According to the style, it is customary to consider the Fayum portrait as a pro-icon, the funeral image is sad and is intended to preserve favorite features in memory.departed person. On the icon, life conquers death, and the face is turned to God, and the meaning of departure lies not in parting, but in the Easter joy of meeting. The artists seemed to peer into the soul, conveying not a momentary image, but viewing it from the point of view of an immortal personality, transformed in the light of eternity.

From realistic portraits to the ideal face

Researchers are convinced that all the images were painted from a living person, since access to the deceased and work with them were strictly forbidden to Egyptian masters. Therefore, the funeral portrait (Fayum) was ordered in advance, painted during life, it hung in the house until the death of a person. Some scholars have suggested that there may have been other images on papyrus, from which posthumous copies were made for mummies.

If we talk about the realism of the appearance of the deceased, then it is certainly deceptive, after all, these are ageless images of some ideal image, as if frozen in eternity. Mummies are known, from the funeral portraits of which young faces looked, although in reality people died at an advanced age. Byzantine iconography moved from a real portrait to an ideal and eternal face, adhering to certain rules for writing holy images.

Stylistic changes

It is worth mentioning that with the development of Christianity, global changes are taking place in the painting of the Fayum portrait, the image of a person is comprehended in it, and the spiritual principle more and more prevails over the corporeal. The creators of the Roman Empire feelnoticeable changes in the perception of the world, expressed in the conditional manner of performing looks, preference is given to ascetic contours rather than volume.

The Fayum portrait, bearing a cult character, changes stylistically, rethinking the human image. Christianity, established in the 4th century in Egypt, stops the practice of embalming, and the encaustic technique is gradually forgotten along with the disappearance of funerary images.

Features of ritual portraits

Based on the unspoken rules of depicting ritual images, the following features characterizing the funeral portraits of that era are noted:

• The light source is on top, the right side of the face from the viewer is in shadow.
• Heads turned 3/4, no direct images.
• The gaze is directed over the observers, and not into the eyes of the viewer.
• Face shows no emotion, wide eyes sad.
• The background of the portrait is solid: either light or gold.
• Asymmetry of the left and right sides of the face (the corners of the lips, eyebrows, ears differ in angles and are depicted at different levels). It is believed that this new trend in painting was an attempt to convey the perspective of the depicted image.

Since the funeral portrait (Fayum) was painted during the life of a person and, perhaps, was in his house for a long time, almost all those painted on it appear as young people. After death, the image was put into the bandages of the mummy, and carefully placed on the head.a wreath of gold was applied through a stencil, symbolizing eternal life.

Funeral portraits as a reflection of fashion trends

Funeral images are a real art gallery, creating a unique atmosphere of involvement of each viewer in great art, giving aesthetic pleasure. From the Fayum portraits one can easily trace the Hellenistic fashion of that time. Men were depicted in light clothes, and women in red, white or greenish robes. Jewelry corresponded to a certain era, just like hairstyles. It was believed that the emperor's family set a special style, inventing new ways of styling hair, especially for women, but in the provinces from the capital, fashion reached extremely slowly.

Museum masterpieces of world art

Scientists count no more than 900 Fayum portraits, which make an indelible impression and have become a completely independent category in art. It seems that even a small art gallery would dream of owning an ancient treasure from the burial cult of the ancient Egyptians. Such portraits are now very expensive at various auctions, and the interest of private collectors in ritual art is increasing every year. It is impossible not to mention the large number of fakes and copies, but skillfully made canvases in the style of funerary images do not follow the traditions of depicting a posthumous image.

Some unique works that have survived to this day are now kept in the collections of major world museums, including Pushkin. In the roomof ancient art, anyone interested in culture and painting will be able to see the Fayum portraits, incredible in terms of the depth of the transfer of images. The Pushkin Museum in Moscow keeps more than 20 funeral images, which even foreigners specially come to admire. The most famous portrait of a young man depicts a real handsome man with courageous features and eyes burning like coals. His whole appearance suggests a hot temperament and wayward character, and the combination of contrasting colors seems to increase internal tension.

Egyptian art will forever remain a real treasure trove of all times and peoples, and the Fayum portraits, whose artistic significance is incredibly high, are rightfully considered true masterpieces of art. They can be called the gates that opened up new ways of creativity for future masters, expressed in the creation of a Byzantine icon.