Egyptian; The Fayum, Egypt
Portrait of a Man Wearing a Laurel Wreath
INV-5520
Egyptian; The Fayum, EgyptRoman Period, early to mid–2nd century
Portrait of a Man Wearing a Laurel Wreath
Egyptian; The Fayum, Egypt →roman period (egyptian)greco-roman (egyptian)ancientpaintingancient art
Date
Roman Period, early to mid–2nd century
Medium
Lime (linden) wood, beeswax, pigments, gold, textile, and natural resin
Dimensions
41.9 × 24.1 × 0.2 cm (16 1/2 × 9 1/2 × 1/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Emily Crane Chadbourne
This portrait belongs to a large group of similar works known as “Fayum portraits,” so-named for the region in northern Egypt in which many have been discovered. To create this man’s likeness, the artist painted a thin piece of wood with encaustic, or pigmented wax, a medium that not only gave the impression of three-dimensionality but also resisted fading and deterioration in the dry climate of Egypt. These highly individualized and lifelike portraits conveyed the wealth and status of the person depicted through clothing, jewelry, and other embellishments, such as the gold wreath of laurels worn by this man.
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