Mummy Portraits From Roman Egypt :: Egyptian Art History Essays

Mummy Portraits From Roman Egypt superannuated Faces Mummy Portraits From Roman Egypt a special exhibit at the metropolitan Museum of Art concentrates on 70 portraits painted in Egypt during the first hardly a(prenominal) centuries of Roman rule. Rome controlled Egypt as it controlled much else, through a constitution of calculated multiculturalism. Egyptian customs were tolerated Romans brought practices and beliefs of their own. Before long, things shaded together. The mummy paintings argon traces of that help in action.The paintings were made to be placed at the head level on the outside of cloth-wrapped mummies as part of Pharaonic mortuary rites think on the by and bylife. It was likely that the portraits were painted just before or after death.As one walks into the gallery an eire feeling is in the air. The eyes of the portraits front to follow you around the room. The Roman influence among the people is easily seen. A quote on the wall reads The arts in Roman Egy pt were as complex as the society while temple building in the tradition Egyptian style continue with few interruptions until the shutdown of the second century A.D and many fine, reliefs, columns, and other architectural ele ments were created in the Pharaonic manner, sculptures in a purely Egyptian style practically came to an end with the Roman conquest.Portraits from the Antioopolis tend to show their subjects in distinctively restrained vestments and hairstyle presumably inspired by the citys interest in Greek classicism. A number of Mummy portraits depict young men between the ages of 14 and 20 with their first facial hair, a get that had particular connotations in Greek educated society of Roman Egypt. The guidance Emperor Hadrian had his hair combed forward and wearing a con beard that demonstrates love for ancient Greece. There are several inscriptions on panel paintings written in Greek, which was the suggested language of the educated upper class. These are just several examples of Greek and roman influence on the Egyptian society.An exhibit I found more interesting was The Mary and Michael Jaharis veranda of Archaic and Classical Greek Art. The Greek Art is elaborate with many of the statues being large scale. Many of the statues have a deep marrow behind them. Like the statue of Aphrodite it is a full body with animation be to be graceful and seductive.