The term "Fayum Portraits" means a series of 600 portraits funeral, highly realistic, carried on wooden planks that covered the countenance of some Egyptian mummies from Roman times. The name derives from the Fayum oasis, a place of origin of most of these paintings. The importance of such fugure derives not only from the strong realism, but the fact that along with the frescoes of Herculaneum and Pompeii, are among the best preserved examples of ancient painting.
Even after the Greek invasion and, in turn, Roman custom to mummify the bodies of the dead remained very popular. In particular, funeral masks, as used in the time of the pharaohs began to be held no more according to the canons Egyptians, but those Greek and Roman antiquities. The Romans had the custom of making a wax mask of his ancestors, forged after death and were kept in the homes of noble families as "family tree". Therefore, we assume that the pictures would be a synthesis of Fayum funeral customs of the Egyptians and Romans?
The dating of these paintings of Fayum funeral can be established between the late first century BC to the mid-third century AD The reasons for the disappearance of such use funeral is still unknown.
The movie below shows some examples of funeral portraits. Note that the figure most people are very young, rarely over 35 years, and many children. This would indicate a low life expectancy in those times. Scientific studies on mummies indicate a close relationship gender and age between the mummy and its representation funeral.
These paintings, in addition to realism, they also represent a strong sense of life after death, for the deceased, besides the serene appearance, are never depicted with eyes closed, but always open, open to eternity !
Other paintings can be seen on the site http://portraits.fayoum.free.fr/fayoum/fayoum1c.php?img=80&mus=0&pas=2 & ; dat = 0 & ori = 0
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