Seven Fayum Mummy Portraits

These portraits were made in the tradition of what are called the "Fayum mummy portraits" --panel paintings attached to the wrapped body of a deceased person. They were Egyptian in origin from the first through third centuries, but there is evidence to indicate that the subjects may have been Greek or other nationalities. Considering the age of these paintings, they have a surprising realism and painterliness in addition to their character.