It's been a while since I last posted something because of all the insanity with my thesis deadline. I'm glad to say that I finally submitted my thesis last Friday! For the past year I've been researching mummy portraits from Roman Egypt, also known as 'Fayum portraits'. These portraits were painted on panel or linen and enclosed with the mummified remains of whom they represent. This tradition lasted from ca. the mid-first century AD until 392 when emperor Theodosius I outlawed mummification. My research specifically focussed on the technique of depicting flesh tones in mummy portraits and how to find sustainable terminology for this aspect of ancient painting about very little is known. As a case study I had the great opportunity to work with four mummy portraits from the collection of the Allard Pierson. The thesis is 188 pages so it's way to extensive to summarise here, but what I wouldn't want to omit is that Romano-Egyptian painters created realistic incarnations simply by utilising lead white and ochres in varying quantites, in a complex mixture of staple techniques and paintery idiosyncrasies. If you want to know more about mummy portrait research I highly recommend looking up the Getty's APPEAR project, which my research is a small part of. Now on to a final essay assignment and then my Technical Art History MA degree will be in the pocket! #technicalarthistory #allardpierson #gettymuseum #fayumportrait #fayumportraits #mummy #mummyportrait #archeology #ancientpainting #ancientart #art #panelpainting #portrait #paintings #egyptianart #romanart #romanempire #funeraryart #archaeology #paintingtechniques #analysis #research #thesis #student #universityofamsterdam #conservationandrestoration #researcher #beautiful #incarnation #faces https://www.instagram.com/p/BzIFr2WIpgs/?igshid=w4l0xqmelex5
