The Fayum Portraits: Funerary Painting of Roman Egypt, 1988 | From the Vaults

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  • Опубліковано 25 чер 2020
  • This enigmatic short film presents fifty Egyptian funerary portraits from the region of Fayum. Painted during Roman rule between 100 and 300 A.D., these striking, psychological works were executed in encaustic while their subjects were alive and later used to cover their faces after mummification. Narration includes excerpts from late Hellenistic texts including religious works and first-hand accounts from the dwellers of Fayum themselves, along with commentary from the art historian Richard Brilliant. A film by Andrea Simon and Bob Rosen, with music by Meredith Monk.
    As part of The Met’s 150th anniversary in 2020, each month we will release three to four films from the Museum’s extensive moving-image archive, which comprises over 1,500 films, both made and collected by the Museum, from the 1920s onward. This includes rarely seen artist profiles and documentaries, as well as process films about art-making techniques and behind-the-scenes footage of the Museum.
    New films every week: www.metmuseum.org/150/from-th...
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 196

  • @heidigouge9737
    @heidigouge9737 Рік тому +14

    So beautiful. The impasto of the wax and vibrant pigments seem to give life to the silent portraits of our ancestors. What a gift to see them!

  • @sneeringimperialist6667
    @sneeringimperialist6667 3 роки тому +62

    They had some really brilliant portrait artists back in the day!

    • @robertokandal
      @robertokandal Рік тому

      pictures of people rela people from PAST. amazing

    • @robertokandal
      @robertokandal Рік тому +3

      caucasian art and civilization

    • @ericastier1646
      @ericastier1646 7 місяців тому +2

      Also the people's face looked noble whereas now rich people have thugs faces.

    • @MossyMozart
      @MossyMozart 4 місяці тому +1

      @@robertokandal - Egypt is nowhere near the Caucus Mountains.

  • @catherinepoloynis
    @catherinepoloynis 7 місяців тому +9

    This was eerily beautiful and particularly insightful and moving, in that these people died in a place not of their origin. These portraits have such an impact today, and this film you've created to show them is an equally moving artistic interpretation. Thank you.

    • @user-em6df2of8j
      @user-em6df2of8j 3 місяці тому

      Они родились! И умерли в римском или элленистическом Египте который и был им Родиной

  • @Daphattack
    @Daphattack 8 місяців тому +5

    I just found out about these. They are amazing! How vivid and well preserved.

  • @iLmentor
    @iLmentor Рік тому +17

    I'm Egyptian. Me and everyone I grew up knowing in Egypt look exactly like all these faces.

    • @HoundTor
      @HoundTor Рік тому +4

      I have to say the likeness is striking.
      Unlike what the HOTEPS say you guys haven’t changed!

    • @The_Truth-
      @The_Truth- 2 місяці тому +6

      So basically you look like the foreigners did back then.

    • @eingoluq
      @eingoluq 21 день тому

      😂😂😂 imagine we look at white Americans back in the 1700s and claim they were the native Americans.
      The Egyptians from the south keep saying those in the north are not original Egyptians. They were the invaders.

    • @Kemet3.0
      @Kemet3.0 14 днів тому

      @@The_Truth-
      Correct, did he even read the title? Roman Egyptians were invaders; they had nothing to do with the pyramids or temples.
      They merely occupied the country and attempted to claim its history. Are you people really that deluded? The ancient Kemetic people are separated by 4000 years from both those invaders and modern Egyptians.

  • @NewPSCity
    @NewPSCity 2 роки тому +18

    It's like time traveling into the past. Amazing 😮

  • @palmamingozzi5736
    @palmamingozzi5736 4 роки тому +32

    This is wonderful, paintings are amazing and the poetry divine.

  • @KemetEG
    @KemetEG 4 роки тому +49

    Look like modern Egyptians

    • @khould8878
      @khould8878 4 роки тому +12

      No doubt

    • @boss347tkt
      @boss347tkt 4 роки тому +11

      north africans phenotype

    • @donaxtrunculus5023
      @donaxtrunculus5023 2 роки тому +8

      Indeed, but you can see some are clearly greek or roman

    • @matteo7853
      @matteo7853 2 роки тому +5

      They look different. Some of them look like ancient Greeks and Roamans, others, like Egyptians.

    • @ahmadradwan5914
      @ahmadradwan5914 2 роки тому

      @@matteo7853 no , asiatic whute races always been in egypt even b4 gerko roman era

  • @mrbutch308
    @mrbutch308 6 місяців тому +4

    Wonderful video. The portraits are haunting.

  • @roadnottaken2780
    @roadnottaken2780 2 роки тому +25

    Wow. Most of the portraits look incredibly modern.

    • @ericastier1646
      @ericastier1646 7 місяців тому +3

      and any of these portraits is better than any detritus made by the likes of picasso.

    • @zakmitchell1935
      @zakmitchell1935 2 місяці тому

      Yeah because they are FAKES!

  • @Pet.Wifey.Voice.Of.Reason
    @Pet.Wifey.Voice.Of.Reason 4 роки тому +18

    Thank you so much for posting this! I have loved Fayums for so long, and suddenly, there is interest them. I thank you again!

  • @_hypergamy7090
    @_hypergamy7090 4 роки тому +15

    AHHHHH INCREDIBLE!! fayums are so beautiful!!! this has really made my day!

  • @sherylcrowe3255
    @sherylcrowe3255 3 роки тому +6

    Absolutely wonderful. Thank you

  • @jeanross7430
    @jeanross7430 4 роки тому +18

    Strangely beautiful works of art.

    • @ericastier1646
      @ericastier1646 7 місяців тому +2

      No, it's not just the art that is beautiful, the expression in these people's face shows something about their society and culture and it was superior to the leader faces we see today.

    • @MossyMozart
      @MossyMozart 4 місяці тому +1

      The portraits also show how beloved the persons were in life, it seems to me.

  • @r.g.36
    @r.g.36 4 роки тому +7

    This is like a treasure chest to me 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🙏💜😱😱😱😱😱😱Thank you The Met, I'd like to know if you will keep this videos on this channel? I hope you keep them on this channel, they are very interesting, educational and insightful since people who live outside of America get to see and learn this and 'virtually/visually' can 'visit' this museum. 💜💜💜🙏

  • @Coolhandkelpy
    @Coolhandkelpy 4 роки тому +15

    It’s so fascinating, the melding of Roman artistry with Egyptian funerary practice... It’s emblematic of Rome’s cultural policy of absorbing and adapting the cultures of those they overtook.

    • @ahmadradwan5914
      @ahmadradwan5914 3 роки тому +1

      The opposite is true ,

    • @tsukun16
      @tsukun16 3 роки тому +1

      @@Michael-zp8fz Hellenistic artistry, not Greek

    • @ahmadradwan5914
      @ahmadradwan5914 2 роки тому +1

      Romans had no culture , no art ... culture and art are egypto_greek

    • @bojangles2492
      @bojangles2492 Рік тому +3

      Ahmad your statement is ridiculous, the Roman civilisation spanned 1000 years.

  • @joellenjohnson4038
    @joellenjohnson4038 4 місяці тому +3

    BEAUTIFUL

  • @JoeyArmstrong2800
    @JoeyArmstrong2800 2 роки тому +6

    Fascinating. Many people commenting on how young they look. Well back then people only lived to be like 40 so it's all relative.

    • @luizlivro5911
      @luizlivro5911 Рік тому +2

      Muitos retratos também são idealizados, para parecerem mais jovens

  • @schatzip
    @schatzip 4 роки тому +4

    Timely. Thank you.

  • @thomasofarabia
    @thomasofarabia 4 роки тому +6

    Haunting.
    Thank you.

  • @sophiegoarin2903
    @sophiegoarin2903 4 роки тому +15

    they're so alive 🎨👍

  • @irishincyprus
    @irishincyprus Рік тому +1

    That was amazing. Thank you. Such beautiful artistry💚 14:15

  • @ThomasMehiar
    @ThomasMehiar Рік тому

    Wondefull! Thank You!

  • @blastofo
    @blastofo 4 місяці тому +3

    We see those mummies and think of horror movies. It's easy to forget they were people like in these paintings.

  • @SpottedBullet
    @SpottedBullet 4 роки тому +19

    FYI It's called Encaustic painting. Basically hot wax and pigment. Some were painted in Tempera though.

    • @totw7790
      @totw7790 4 роки тому +2

      Great film, Thank you. ❤👍

    • @andreasimon9244
      @andreasimon9244 4 роки тому +2

      @@totw7790 thank you, it was wonderful making it all those years ago ...

  • @rayamariam692
    @rayamariam692 3 роки тому +36

    They look like Ancient Egyptians. Nice paintings.

    • @marioma812
      @marioma812 3 роки тому +23

      @@alif4142
      No they were Egyptians

    • @gracegg5485
      @gracegg5485 2 роки тому +17

      @@marioma812 nope😂😭 they are in fact Greek and Romans who lived in Egypt. Nice try tho.

    • @dareal05
      @dareal05 2 роки тому +8

      @@gracegg5485 They were overwhelmingly "upper class" native Lower Egyptians at that time.

    • @gracegg5485
      @gracegg5485 2 роки тому +7

      @@dareal05 they were the settlers yes , they were egyptians by nationality but by ethnicty they were from the upper class and rulking elites ie the greek dynasties and roman rullers

    • @ahmadradwan5914
      @ahmadradwan5914 2 роки тому +15

      Go to italy and go to fayoum , u will recignize that these faces are pure egyptian with no effort

  • @aquastar4336
    @aquastar4336 3 роки тому +4

    What absolutely beautiful style. Wish I could get someone to paint me in this way!!!

    • @TheMeloettaful
      @TheMeloettaful 2 роки тому

      That would actually be awesome to get a coffin portrait done lol 😁!

  • @davidcaldecoat7414
    @davidcaldecoat7414 2 роки тому +2

    Beautiful paintings

  • @thg_mockingjay2842
    @thg_mockingjay2842 4 роки тому +12

    The 8 year old boy has always been my favorite

  • @sidilicious11
    @sidilicious11 4 роки тому +5

    Nicely Painted portraits, all with over sized eyes.

    • @user-rc4jz1wt6j
      @user-rc4jz1wt6j Рік тому +1

      Do u think that there eyes were really wide or they just used to painting it in such way

  • @user-qn7dm4ws3j
    @user-qn7dm4ws3j 3 роки тому +5

    Красота,которая сейчас,не встречается! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

  • @asilva781
    @asilva781 8 місяців тому +1

    Beautiful

  • @shadowraith1
    @shadowraith1 4 роки тому +13

    Interesting presentation. From my perspective? Vaguely creepy. Kind of like placing a picture permanently on a gravestone.👍👀👀👀👍

    • @Mjao519
      @Mjao519 4 роки тому +6

      In a world without other possible ways to memorize, it's intriguing. The visual memory is very short.

    • @Daphattack
      @Daphattack 8 місяців тому +3

      There are in fact many gravestones just like that with a visual representation of the departed.

  • @88jjmayp
    @88jjmayp 4 роки тому +2

    great channels, I wish the likes weren't disabled . Im sure all the ratio would be more than favorable for most of these vids

  • @daemonology306
    @daemonology306 4 роки тому +4

    I saw one of these in the Nelson-Atkins museum

  • @adafessler8147
    @adafessler8147 3 роки тому +4

    Does anyone know the name of the tracks by Meredith Monk in this video? (Beautiful documentary btw - thank you)

    • @bobrosen3516
      @bobrosen3516 3 роки тому +2

      The music score was composed by Meredith just for this film. The individual tracks have no name.

  • @p.g.3419
    @p.g.3419 Рік тому +2

    Was it possible that in reality they were all so incredibly beautiful? It is very probable that they may have died at a young age, but a whole people of extraordinary beauty?

  • @carlossalazar1349
    @carlossalazar1349 3 роки тому +1

    increíble sorprendente

  • @ahmedgharieb5252
    @ahmedgharieb5252 Рік тому +7

    Those look like modern Egyptians so much.. Does that means modern Egyptians is from Rome!!!

    • @cawl8122
      @cawl8122 Рік тому +4

      Egypt has been one of the centres of the world for much of antiquity and so has lots of groups come and mix into the native egyptian population so in a sense they are roman and egyptian and greek and arab

    • @xiuhcoatl4830
      @xiuhcoatl4830 Рік тому +1

      Because these are from roman Egypt, not Rome

  • @aquastar4336
    @aquastar4336 3 роки тому +12

    I realize there wasn't alot of inter-breeding between the Romans and native Egyptians... but some of these ppl display features of a mixed background.

    • @Trixtah
      @Trixtah 2 роки тому +10

      A lot of them are descended from Ptolemaic Greek colonists, not so much the Romans who were the later colonists occupying Egypt at the time these were created.

  • @KJensenStudio
    @KJensenStudio 3 роки тому +9

    These are all beautiful, but some are spectacular! I never thought this level of realism in portrature existed this early on. I have to be concerned though: what happened to their bodies? It's great to see these, but disturbing to see them sepeated from their owners.

    • @KJensenStudio
      @KJensenStudio 3 роки тому

      'separated' oops!

    • @umbrellashotgunman
      @umbrellashotgunman 3 роки тому +4

      While some portraits were indeed recovered alongside the original mummies, many were stripped off their subjects by local grave robbers looking for a quick buck by raiding newly discovered dig sites and selling them to local merchants. It also didn’t help that archeological standards were a lot lower at the time most of the portraits were discovered.

    • @egytourina
      @egytourina 2 роки тому

      Some of these portraits found separately without their mummies

  • @mortalclown3812
    @mortalclown3812 Рік тому +1

    Reminds me of Japanese death poetry ~ yet more in the collective. Keane portraiture glows in these eyes. Here's to the return cycles.

  • @alihassan-hl4kg
    @alihassan-hl4kg 4 роки тому +11

    I know people looking the same in egypt

  • @unkolawdio
    @unkolawdio 7 місяців тому +1

    This is interesting

  • @Trixtah
    @Trixtah 2 роки тому +2

    Highly recommend muting, enabling CC and playing back at 1.25x. Or if you like "art music", you might enjoy listening. Also, if you want to know how or why these beautiful portraits were produced, this is not the video for you.

  • @numismatic
    @numismatic 4 роки тому +12

    Most of them look young and rich, but I wonder why they died early.

    • @Cawendaw
      @Cawendaw 4 роки тому +22

      Probably a lot of them didn't, the documentary says the portraits hung in their homes for many years before their owners died.

    • @Mjao519
      @Mjao519 4 роки тому +6

      Maybe they got them painted while they where young and beautiful. But many women died of childbirth.

    • @ericastier1646
      @ericastier1646 7 місяців тому +1

      @@Mjao519 Definitely painted decades before they passed, some of the women look absolutely georgeous and i couldn't think they would have looked better at an older age.

  • @FsimulatorX
    @FsimulatorX 2 роки тому +2

    Where are the readings from?

  • @sarahesham1482
    @sarahesham1482 2 роки тому +4

    So sad how they were so young when they died 💔

    • @petebondurant58
      @petebondurant58 Рік тому +5

      Some of the portraits are aged up, so to speak. One of the mummies had a portrait of a full grown woman painted upon it, but when the skeleton was examined, it was of a four years old girl.

    • @HoundTor
      @HoundTor Рік тому

      @@petebondurant58 Ow, even sadder.

    • @ericastier1646
      @ericastier1646 7 місяців тому +3

      No, you don't know if they died at the age of the portrait. Most likely not. The portrait is probably how they looked at their prime.

  • @WarandFlame
    @WarandFlame 3 роки тому +5

    Are these stories real?

  • @patriciadow6138
    @patriciadow6138 3 роки тому +1

    12.20. Lee van celeb! Wow

  • @robertorup9680
    @robertorup9680 4 роки тому +2

    👍💥

  • @williambo5989
    @williambo5989 2 роки тому +3

    the artist had to work very quickly and this perhaps accounts to their extraordinary freshness

    • @ericastier1646
      @ericastier1646 7 місяців тому +3

      another false guess. These portraits were painted during the life of the deceased at their prime or so, not after they died.

    • @williambo5989
      @williambo5989 7 місяців тому

      @@ericastier1646 no they were done after I am professional

  • @dmc133
    @dmc133 3 роки тому +2

    Everyone looked young , no gray hair.

  • @sagittariusman9307
    @sagittariusman9307 4 роки тому +7

    8:24 Young Sylvester Stallone...

  • @katdee239
    @katdee239 2 роки тому +1

    How do you get to talk to an egyptogist? I have many questions on the textiles and symbolism.

  • @rsabinioan
    @rsabinioan Рік тому +1

    7:12 absolute chad

  • @blokblok2009
    @blokblok2009 3 роки тому +2

    Huh, Roman Egypt 🇪🇬

  • @alanveiga452
    @alanveiga452 Рік тому +3

    Wait? They didn't look like subsaharan Africans? I thought we was kings

  • @blumenthol
    @blumenthol 8 місяців тому +5

    Nice .... but where are all the Africans Hollywood says were there in numbers? To include Cleopatra herself.

  • @joe8256
    @joe8256 9 місяців тому +2

    Why are they all young 🤔?

    • @OmegaSpidey1610
      @OmegaSpidey1610 5 місяців тому

      The human life span in ancient rome 2000 years ago was between 30-40 years. This is why they look young in the portraits

  • @DoofusMeme
    @DoofusMeme 4 роки тому +5

    So people in the past has over large eyes

    • @pageribe2399
      @pageribe2399 4 місяці тому +3

      Eyes were so important - they were prominently featured - sometimes to the point of exaggeration - in the portraiture of many cultures.

  • @remigofflo179
    @remigofflo179 2 роки тому +1

    1988 EGYPTE ALEXANDRIE ROME JULES REMI GOFFLO CÉSAR ROMAIN

    • @remigofflo179
      @remigofflo179 2 роки тому +1

      1988 EGYPTE ALEXANDRIE CLEOPATRE VII ROME JULES REMI GOFFLO CÉSAR ROMAIN

  • @jenniferbond5771
    @jenniferbond5771 4 дні тому

    Italians!!

  • @atenmohammed
    @atenmohammed Рік тому +3

    Proud to look like my ancestors 😁

    • @sublimnl1
      @sublimnl1 4 місяці тому

      So you're a fkin roman then Achmed?

  • @Neftegna
    @Neftegna 3 роки тому +8

    These are the portraits of Romans living in Egypt.

    • @egytourina
      @egytourina 2 роки тому +5

      Roman and Greeks with greek names inscribed on the portait with Egyotian way and materials..
      Actually it's mix between 3 civilization

    • @ahmadfathy7994
      @ahmadfathy7994 2 роки тому +3

      They was most Egyptian

    • @mcfact1827
      @mcfact1827 2 роки тому +4

      @@ahmadfathy7994 @6:50....he tells you who they are and where they came from. Greece
      He tells you they were colonials.

    • @kekekekekekekekkk
      @kekekekekekekekkk Рік тому +1

      Desde quando italianos tem essas feições?

  • @user-rl3vi6dy1c
    @user-rl3vi6dy1c Місяць тому

    Это придки ромов

  • @AlekseyMaksimovichPeshkov
    @AlekseyMaksimovichPeshkov Рік тому +1

    So it’s official: square jawlines didn’t exist back then and all the men looked like their women 😂?

    • @ericastier1646
      @ericastier1646 7 місяців тому

      shows your limited Geography and history knowledge.

  • @oranebrown2169
    @oranebrown2169 3 роки тому +5

    They were never egyptian. And could never be, colonizer.

    • @itsyeboy7094
      @itsyeboy7094 3 роки тому +14

      hahaha ur jealous of our history

    • @mcfact1827
      @mcfact1827 2 роки тому

      They don't look like king Menes

    • @egytourina
      @egytourina 2 роки тому +1

      Some have Egyptian features .

    • @mcfact1827
      @mcfact1827 2 роки тому

      @@egytourina look up Menes.

    • @ahmadfathy7994
      @ahmadfathy7994 2 роки тому

      @@mcfact1827 menes don't have any statue

  • @1TruGODreality
    @1TruGODreality 8 місяців тому

    Yea Roman ruled Egypt

  • @metallitech
    @metallitech Рік тому +1

    Narrated by a mummy?

  • @tigrisrgn4062
    @tigrisrgn4062 3 роки тому +11

    but but, I THOUGHT WE WUZ KANGZ MANE????

    • @thecraplordsell4575
      @thecraplordsell4575 Рік тому

      Well they certainly aren’t white. They look very Semitic. Why can’t the movies get it right.

  • @frankmill2.07
    @frankmill2.07 4 роки тому +10

    7:29 Barack Obama's great great great great... Grandfather

    • @soso-ry5if
      @soso-ry5if 3 роки тому +3

      Not at all. Barack Obama ancestors look like kenyans

    • @Socsom
      @Socsom 3 роки тому +1

      Obama’s mother was white.

    • @blokblok2009
      @blokblok2009 3 роки тому

      Lol

    • @gracegg5485
      @gracegg5485 2 роки тому +2

      @@soso-ry5if and those aren't even egyptians they're romans and greeks.

    • @soso-ry5if
      @soso-ry5if 2 роки тому +3

      @@gracegg5485 they are Egyptians and they look Egyptians

  • @powahwave8915
    @powahwave8915 6 місяців тому

    What's with the useless creepy noises

  • @zakmitchell1935
    @zakmitchell1935 2 місяці тому +1

    Unfortunately these have been found to be fakes and they don't even match the mummies they were found with but keep on being delusional.

    • @katerinapatiniotis5598
      @katerinapatiniotis5598 Місяць тому +3

      They're real and carbon dated. You're the one who's been delusional.