Face to Face - Mummy Portraits

How did these portraits come about

Mummy portraits are painted portraits of deceased persons, usually on wood. During the Roman period, these portraits were made in Egypt and affixed to the facial area of the mummified persons after treating and wrapping the body.

Who were the people portrayed? How were they depicted, and why? Who were they seen by? And: how do we think about self-presentation and being remembered in an age of selfies and fluid identities?

In Face to Face, visitors not only get to know the people portrayed, but also the makers, relatives, followers, collectors, archaeologists and researchers who play a role in these portraits.

Portraiture

Because of their colours, penetrating gaze and their regular modern-looking realism, the mummy portraits strongly appeal to the imagination. They are artistic expressions of an ancient tradition that returns in Byzantine painting. Even today, they are seen as an example of the earliest known realistic painted portraiture.

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Please note: City Card holders pay a €5 surcharge.