Portrait of a young man

Portrait of a young man that was placed over the face of his mummy to help his soul achieve immortality. It is dated to circa 70-120 CE during the Roman Period, and is painted in encaustic and tempera on a thin panel of lime wood. Unlike numerous other portraits of this kind, a skull could be positively assigned to this one.

"The skull underwent CT scanning and transillumination (held up before bright lights). The results displayed several features of progressive facial hemiatrophy (Parry Romberg Syndrome) which is a slow and progressive atrophy affecting one side of the face. With this condition, the tissues beneath the skin, and even bone, waste away. Parry Romberg Syndrome generally begins in young people between the ages of 5 to 15, but is, thankfully, a rare disorder."

"On close inspection of the portrait, the researchers noticed distortions in the angle of the mouth and the area around eyes. There was a noticeable lowering of the left corner of the mouth and moustache, and changes in the shape of the chin and the left labiomental groove. In 1997, the portrait of the youth was compared to a live male patient with Parry Romberg Syndrome, and several similarities in their facial features were found."

— Aziz, Sofia, "The Fayum Mummy Portraits: Ancient Diseases Captured in the Brush Strokes of Realism," Nile Magazine, Issue #26, July-August 2020, pp. 12-20.

This portrait (EA74707) is now in the British Museum, London, England.

Photo (edited for size) © The Trustees of the British Museum