Mummy Portrait of a Bearded Man

about A.D. 150–170

Medium

Encaustic on linden wood

Dimensions

37 × 21 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-136986

The man in this funerary portrait has tightly curled black hair, thick eyebrows, a beard and moustache. He is clad in a traditional white funerary tunic with red *clavi* (woven stripes). One extends vertically from the man’s proper right shoulder. A mantle (pallium) is draped over his proper left shoulder; at its lower edge is an “H” pattern similar to that on the Portrait of a Boy (see also [78.AP.262](http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/8213/unknown-maker-mummy-portrait-of-a-youth-romano-egyptian-ad-150-200/?dz=0.5000,0.5520,0.81)) and possibly indicating the presence of an embroidery motif. The portrait presents a superb example of the pictorial possibilities intrinsic to the encaustic technique. No ground layer exists, and the encaustic was applied directly to the wood. Overall the surface treatment is very painterly, clearly exhibiting brush strokes and tool markings. The background (neutral grayish-white) and tunic (white) are painted with thick parallel lines radiating out from the portrait, which is heavily impastoed on the face and hair – some details such as the eyelashes are incised. The use of the *cestrum*, a tool similar to a palette knife, is evident in th…