In the XIX century, archaeologists have found a real wonder in the ancient Egyptian tombs - realistic portraits of men, women and children. Such art did not fit into already well-known canons: heads - in profile, shoulders and breasts - Afas, and therefore I discouraged scientists. But gave us a clear idea of how people looked almost 2,000 years ago.
Adme.ru decided to show how men, women and children of those years and what decorations they wore. And thanks to scientists, reconstructed mummies, we know that the ancient artists painted quite truthfully - with an accuracy of 63-73%.
How such portraits appeared
- Egyptian art, with the exception of the short period of the rule of Pharaoh Ehnaton, was conditional: sculptures and paintings depicted people in a strictly defined perspective and pose, without emotions. This technique was idealized by the image of a person passing into another world. The burial masks, which were imposed on the face of the mummy, were also sketchy. Cheap masks were made of fabric fortified by plaster, and Pharaohs could afford masks of gold and precious stones.
- At the end of the I century BC, Egypt fell under the power of Rome. The Romans and the Greeks willingly adopted local customs and rituals, but instead of non-emotional masks began to put on their mummies quite realistic portraits. The new "fashion" lasted until the middle of the III century.
- All over Egypt, archaeologists have discovered almost a thousand such paintings, and most of the part was found in the Fayum oasis. For these scientists nicknamed them with Fayum portraits.
- In contrast to masks, they were made on wooden planks, less often - on a reinforced glue canvas. Under the influence of the classical art of the Greeks and the Romans, they acquired liveliness and emotionality. A manner of writing some portraits is reminiscent of impressionism and postpressionism.
- The process of transition from masks to Fayum portrait was not instant. When excavations, a tomb with a mummy of a whole family was found. And what is curious, children and women had portraits, and her husband had a gold-plated mask instead.
- Egyptologist Flinders Pithree argued that many such images were made during a person's life and probably decorated his house. The version of PTRI indicates that many of the portraits are cut to fit under flax bandages.
- Although there were portraits, which are clearly made for sweeping: right on the cramps of the canvas, into which the mummy wrapped.
How and for whom such portraits were drawn
- Few people could afford a dear portrait. Flinders Pithree claimed that of all the mummies he found, only 1-2% were decorated with images of people. But among those who had funds to order portrait, there was their graduation.
- Dear portraits were drawn by molten colored wax. Thanks to the hot climate of Egypt, they even now, after 18-20 centuries, they retained their paintness.
- Decorations and wreaths of wealthy ladies and men artists of ancient Egypt did from thin plates of real gold - a gravestone. Such portraits, as a rule, were performed by more talented masters.
- For cheaper portraits, the temperature was used on the basis of egg yolk. But many portraits created by Tever were easier by execution, painted on inexpensive materials and, moreover, they were noticeably injured over time.
Who were depicted on Fayum portraits
- Although after the conquest of Egypt, the dominant roles in the country were taken by Romans and the Greeks, there are many Egyptians on Fayum images. Many of the first Greek settlers married local Egyptians, adopted their culture and beliefs and made something in it.
- At the same time, the Greek or Latin name in the picture does not mean that on it the Greek or Roman: under the influence of fashion on the dominant culture, many Egyptians took themselves such "status" names.
- Women in the Fayum paintings were depicted with a variety of hairstyles, in luxurious clothes and decorations. They were concerned in robes of different colors: white, red, yellow, lilac, blue or pink.
- Soldiers and athletes Fayum artists painted preoccupied and with bare shoulders. In general, men were usually depicted in white clothes, and only gold wreaths were on them.
- Children on Fayum portraits were often depicted with gold necklaces, on which the amulet was suspended.
- With such a necklace on the neck, a little boy aged 3-4 years old, whose mummy and portrait are now in the collection of the Museum of Egyptian art in Munich. To find out how he looked in life, scientists reconstructed his mummy. And it turned out that the artist although I painted the child very similar, but I portrayed a baby older for several years.
- When the ancient Egyptians did the statues of women, they often portrayed them more young and beautiful than in fact. But men in the years were intentionally did not melt - it was believed that the mature age is decorated and gives advantage.
- There was a somewhat different situation on Fayum portraits: children, young men and women were usually depicted there. It is simply explained: life in those days even rich people was short. And to live until the moment you draw such a portrait, few people could.
- There is another curious detail: women in paintings have different hairstyles, that is, in those days the fashion changed. It is on the hairstyles and dresses of the ladies, scientists determine what an era there is one or another picture. For example, during the reign of Emperor, Tiberius women wore ordinary hairstyles with a surrender in the middle, and later fashion came to complex styling with curls, braids and descending on the forehead.
Did you pay attention to that all the noses portraits are perfectly smooth, and the eyes are big and deep? What do you think is the reason?