Since earliest times in Egypt, there was a tradition for funerary portraiture, for an effigy that preserved a likeness of the deceased. In the later periods, the influence of Greek...
Since earliest times in Egypt, there was a tradition for funerary portraiture, for an effigy that preserved a likeness of the deceased. In the later periods, the influence of Greek and Roman art infused a new element of realism into the mummy portrait, as this splendid plaster image demonstrates. When we look upon the visage of a man who lived centuries ago, we cannot help but think how familiar he looks.