Portrait of a thin-faced man

Portrait of a thin-faced man

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This man's intent, direct gaze and parted lips make him seem restive. The remarkably free brushwork builds up forms without reliance on clean contours. The portrait has striking atmospheric qualities, such as the strands of seeminly damp hair that cling to the man's brow. The gilding of the wreath and background was added after the panel had been inserted into the mummy wrapping. For more on the technique used to create this portrait, see 09.181.1.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portrait of a thin-faced manPortrait of a thin-faced manPortrait of a thin-faced manPortrait of a thin-faced manPortrait of a thin-faced man

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.