Art seems to be an integral part of human existence, as essential to life as breathing and eating. From drawings made by cavemen to frescoes painted by Greeks, this pervasive aspect of culture can be found in virtually any stage of history. Fayum art is particularly popular with historians because of its looks and the wealth of information that can be gleaned from it.
The art form is quite old, dating to the first century before Christ. It was practiced in Egypt, which was under Roman occupation at the time. Most pieces have been recovered from Faiyum Basin, a massive natural feature that has given its name to the ancient art form. The paintings are characterized by detail and naturalism, and were done on panels, which were then attached to boards, and fixed to mummies.
The rich, highly detailed images showed not just the dead person's facial features, but sometimes extended to part of the torso too. Archaeologists posit that the images were not true representations of the deceased's face, as some elements in the paintings are unusually similar, but a more idealized version of the dead individual.
These paintings were done using one of the two techniques; en-caustic or tempera. The former involves the use of hot beeswax mixed with coloring matter; the heated mixture is then applied to wax, wood or any other suitable substrate. In some cases, oil-based paints, linseed oil and other materials may be added. The mix may be worked while hot using special brushes or other implements. Another option is to let it cool, and then use heated metal instruments to shape it.
Some painters preferred the use of tempera even though the results were lower quality because of its durability. This technique involved the use of any binder capable of dissolving in water, such as egg yolk, mixed with suitable powdered colors. This would then be applied to wood or canvas. If the mix was made with egg yolk, the result would be termed as egg tempera. The use of this durable material ceased with the discovery and rising use of oil paints.
Archaeologists have so far found about nine hundred of these beautiful paintings. Because Egyptian weather is hot and dry, most pieces look almost as good as they did when they were first painted. The art form reflects Roman and Greek traditions, rather than Egyptian ones, and for good reason; the two. Groups formed wealthy elite, having occupied and ruled Egypt for some time.
Archaeologists have also discovered something else in regard to these paintings; they all depict people at a relatively young age. A considerable number show children, some of whom are very young. Historians speculate that most people died young, reflecting a general trend of short lifespans in the ancient world.
The fayum art form shows signs of decline starting at the beginning of the third century. No painting has been found that goes beyond the middle half of this century, and it seems that the art had died out by then. Archaeologists think that this may have been due to a severe economic crisis that afflicted the entire Roman empire at the time, limiting people's ability to spend money on luxuries.
The art form is quite old, dating to the first century before Christ. It was practiced in Egypt, which was under Roman occupation at the time. Most pieces have been recovered from Faiyum Basin, a massive natural feature that has given its name to the ancient art form. The paintings are characterized by detail and naturalism, and were done on panels, which were then attached to boards, and fixed to mummies.
The rich, highly detailed images showed not just the dead person's facial features, but sometimes extended to part of the torso too. Archaeologists posit that the images were not true representations of the deceased's face, as some elements in the paintings are unusually similar, but a more idealized version of the dead individual.
These paintings were done using one of the two techniques; en-caustic or tempera. The former involves the use of hot beeswax mixed with coloring matter; the heated mixture is then applied to wax, wood or any other suitable substrate. In some cases, oil-based paints, linseed oil and other materials may be added. The mix may be worked while hot using special brushes or other implements. Another option is to let it cool, and then use heated metal instruments to shape it.
Some painters preferred the use of tempera even though the results were lower quality because of its durability. This technique involved the use of any binder capable of dissolving in water, such as egg yolk, mixed with suitable powdered colors. This would then be applied to wood or canvas. If the mix was made with egg yolk, the result would be termed as egg tempera. The use of this durable material ceased with the discovery and rising use of oil paints.
Archaeologists have so far found about nine hundred of these beautiful paintings. Because Egyptian weather is hot and dry, most pieces look almost as good as they did when they were first painted. The art form reflects Roman and Greek traditions, rather than Egyptian ones, and for good reason; the two. Groups formed wealthy elite, having occupied and ruled Egypt for some time.
Archaeologists have also discovered something else in regard to these paintings; they all depict people at a relatively young age. A considerable number show children, some of whom are very young. Historians speculate that most people died young, reflecting a general trend of short lifespans in the ancient world.
The fayum art form shows signs of decline starting at the beginning of the third century. No painting has been found that goes beyond the middle half of this century, and it seems that the art had died out by then. Archaeologists think that this may have been due to a severe economic crisis that afflicted the entire Roman empire at the time, limiting people's ability to spend money on luxuries.
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