Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The Facts Regarding Fayum Art

By Ethel Harris


Much value is held by artworks in human life. An array of purposes are used in creating these artistic creations. Self expression can be done by using this. Societal, religious, and cultural purposes can be used for this too. An array of forms can also be found for this. Creations such as sculptures, murals, and paintings may be used. Various places may also hold them. An assortment of elements can influence such artworks. Geography, society, and traditions can influence them. That is why distinctive characteristics may be held by them. Fayum art was popularized in ancient Egypt. Facts on this distinctive artistic form should then be known.

Such artworks are comprised of portraits or paintings made for mummies. Such paintings are predominantly found in the Faiyum basin of Egypt. For this reason, they are termed as such. Such paintings were composed during the Coptic era. This is a period when Romans and Greeks occupied Egypt. It will cover the 1st century BC until 3rd century CE. These are found usually in tombs. Such paintings will show individuals. These individuals are from upper class Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans usually. The paintings will depict young people usually. It might be because they were painted during their lifetime, while young, or to display youth after death.

The paintings have used various materials. They would be painted on wooden boards, panels, or surfaces. Various sorts of woods would be used. It can include oak, sycamore, cedar, and cypress. They would use hot wax for painting. These hot waxes would be pigmented to produce colors. They would also be using other ingredients like resin, egg, and linseed oil. The paint would be versatile, vivid, and vibrant.

Mummies during burials will have their faces covered with these paintings. The neck, upper shoulders, and face would be shown. The social status, wealth, and youth can be depicted. During their lifetimes, the paintings can be made already and displayed in houses. Samples of these kinds of works are brought from tombs today.

These paintings are using various painting styles. They can be painted using empausto techniques. This technique would use hot wax and would produce paintings of higher quality. They would produce striking contrasts, vivid colors, and rich strokes. They can use tempera techniques too. This technique would produce finer contrasts, chalky colors, and restrained images. Painting techniques are influenced by classical techniques from Greeks and Romans.

Such artworks will really reflect huge doses of realism. They will reflect three dimensionality, accurate anatomical proportions, and skilled lighting. It will utilize gradient painting, directional lighting, and shadowing and highlighting. The images will be really lifelike. The realism will be a nice touch of classical arts.

Being buried under the dry, hot, and timeless sands can be a good thing. The dryness have preserved these works really well. They would be good examples of classical, realistic, and Graeco-Roman artworks.

Today, these are found in varied popular museums. It could include the NY Metropolitan Museum, the Louvre, and the British Museum. They will give nice glimpses of ancient traditions, people, and culture.

Examples of ancient traditions, techniques, and creativity can be really shown with fayum art. Preserving them would be really worth it. History can be borne out of creativity too.




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