Ancient artists from Roman-period Egypt created portraits on wooden panels to be placed on mummified bodies. Funerary portraits were often separated from the bodies of their owners and sold as curiosities or art objects. A portrait that appears intact would likely have been worth more on the art market than a fragment. This portrait is a composite made from pieces of multiple ancient paintings glued to a board, creating the illusion of a single complete painting. The central portrait shows a man wearing a red strap across his chest to hold a sword, which means he was likely a soldier. Can you determine which fragments were added to the central portrait? Watch to learn how conservators used technical imaging to determine which of these fragments belonged together. The exhibition "Funerary Portraits from Roman Egypt: Facing Forward," foregrounds scientific analysis and technical research conducted by staff in the Harvard Art Museums’ Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies. Come face to face with portraits of Egyptians who lived during the Roman period and discover what role these images played in funerary rituals as well as what modern technical study can reveal about ancient artistic practices. Featuring several painted portrait panels, sculptural portraits, and a linen burial shroud, this tightly focused exhibition asks visitors to reflect upon objects that represent the deceased and were once intimately connected with their bodies. The exact findspots and details of the excavation and dismantling of these objects were not recorded; and while the portraits present seemingly familiar faces, we can never fully know the people behind them. So what more can we learn from the objects themselves? This portrait is on view in the Unversity Research Gallery between August 27, 2022–December 30, 2022. TAKE A CLOSER LOOK: + Composite Portrait of a Man, c. Early 2nd century CE, Egyptian Roman Imperial Period. Harvard Art Museums, Gift of Dr. Denman W. Ross, 1924.80. https://hvrd.art/o/292150. + Explore more via the exhibition digital tool: https://harvardartmuseums.org/tour/funerary-portraits-from-roman-egypt-facing-forward-2 +Visit the exhibition "Funerary Portraits from Roman Egypt:" https://harvardartmuseums.org/funeraryportraits --- Video: August 27, 2022. Videographer: John Neely. © President and Fellows of Harvard College. For questions related to permission for commercial use of this video, please contact the Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources at am_divr@harvard.edu. #ArtMeetsScience #HarvardArtMuseums