Artwork
Funerary Portrait of a Woman
Funerary Portrait of a Woman is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Unknown. It dates from 165 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The portrait depicts a woman rendered on a wooden panel, her dark eyes directed forward.
- Accession no.
- 1971.136
- Credit line
- John L. Severance Fund
About this work
Overview
The portrait depicts a woman rendered on a wooden panel, her dark eyes directed forward. A gold leaf halo surrounds her head, and she is dressed in a purple tunic with gold earrings. Originally a domestic painting, it was later altered for funerary use.
Subject & Meaning
The figure represents an individual portrait, likely commissioned during her lifetime. In the funerary context, the gold halo and the placement of the image on the mummy served to honor the deceased, linking personal identity with after‑life rites.
Technique & Style
Executed in the encaustic method common to Roman‑Egyptian portraiture, the work combines realistic facial modeling with a stylized gold leaf border. The use of purple pigment and gold accessories reflects elite status and Roman aesthetic influences in Egypt.
History & Provenance
Created while the sitter was alive, the panel was removed from its original frame upon her death, trimmed to fit the mummy case, and the central area was gilded at that time. This transformation turned a private portrait into a component of a burial assemblage.
Context
The portrait belongs to the tradition of Fayum mummy portraits, a hybrid art form that merged Greco‑Roman portraiture with Egyptian funerary customs during the Roman period in Egypt. Such works illustrate the cultural synthesis of Roman elite tastes and local burial practices.
Artist & collection
