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Published: Klaus Parlasca and Hans G. Frenz, Repertorio d'Arte dell'Egitto Greco-Romano, Serie B, Vol. IV: Ritratti di mummie, Rome, 2003, pl. 188, no. 881, fig. 4, describing the piece as follows: “Formerly Vienna, Collection of Dr. R. Friedinger-Pranter (1961); 22.9 × 8 cm. (…) Fragment of a portrait of a boy shown frontally, with short, wavy hair. He wears a white chiton with a dark clavus. Probably early 4th century AD.”
Expert’s note: The present fragment is distinguished by its important early provenance from the collection of Theodor Graf, one of the pivotal figures in the rediscovery of Romano-Egyptian mummy portraits, as well as its publication in the standard corpus by Parlasca and Frenz. Particularly notable are its unrestored state, tempera technique, and strikingly direct gaze.
Although K. Parlasca in his Ritratti di mummie series consistently placed the er-Rubayat portraits very late in his chronological scheme – mid to late 4th century AD – based on the apparent “crudity” of style, more recent scholarship has ascribed a significantly earlier placement to the 2nd century AD. As S. Walker and M. Bierbrier inform (p. 86 in Ancient Faces: Mummy Portraits from Roman Egypt), “careful observation of hairstyles, jewelry and clothing worn by the subjects of the portraits reveals that they are approximately contemporary with the grander encaustic panels from Hawara.” The apparent “crudity” of the portraits derives from the material employed – tempera rather than encaustic on wood.
Finely painted in tempera on wood, preserving the left half of the frontal portrait of a young man and part of his shoulder. His large almond-shaped eye is finely outlined beneath a dark arched brow, the individual lashes carefully picked out, while the short wavy black hair leaves the ear exposed. The warm reddish complexion is subtly modeled, with delicate dark contours accentuating the nose, cheek, and gently smiling lips. He wears a white chiton with a dark clavus.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Fragmentary as preserved, with the original lower edge intact. Expected wear and scattered flaking and losses to the pigments. Unrestored.
Austrian Export License: An export pre-approval certificate has already been issued by the Federal Monuments Authority of Austria (Bundesdenkmalamt).
Provenance:
- Said to be from er-Rubayat.
- The private collection of Theodor Graf (1840-1903), Vienna, acquired from the above, by repute, and thence by descent.
- A private collection in Vienna, acquired from the above between 1904 and 1915.
- The private collection of Dr. Robert Friedinger-Pranter (1894-1967), Vienna, acquired in 1962 from an Austrian private collection, and thence by descent within the family.
Theodor Graf (1840-1903) was a Viennese carpet dealer and one of the pivotal figures in the rediscovery and dissemination of Romano-Egyptian mummy portraits in Europe. His celebrated group of portraits from Egypt, first brought to Europe in the late 19th century, played an important role in introducing these extraordinary images to an international audience. In order to promote the collection, Graf organized a highly publicized travelling sales exhibition of 94 outstanding portraits, which opened in Munich in the summer of 1888 and subsequently toured major European cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Leipzig, Paris, Prague, and Vienna, as well as Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia in the United States.
Robert Friedinger-Pranter (1894-1967) was an Austrian diplomat and noted collector of Egyptian antiquities. He served as Austrian envoy in Cairo from 1950 to 1953 and as ambassador to Greece from 1955 to 1960. During his diplomatic career he assembled an important collection of Aegyptiaca, substantial parts of which were sold by Münzen und Medaillen AG, Basel, in 1972 and 1974.
Dimensions: 22.9 x 8 cm (excl. frame), 44 x 34 cm (incl. frame)
Mounted on red velvet and framed behind glass. (2)
The painted mummy portraits of Roman Egypt occupy a unique position between Egyptian funerary tradition and Greco-Roman portraiture. Painted on thin wooden panels and placed over the faces of the deceased, these striking likenesses preserve some of the most important surviving examples of ancient panel painting. Executed in tempera, the present portrait displays the matte surface, expressive brushwork, and linear modeling characteristic of the technique. Its frontal presentation and large, intensely focused eye lend the sitter a remarkable immediacy.
The exceptional quality of this painting was recently emphasized by Alfred Grimm, who described the present portrait as being of superb quality, particularly noting the expressive line and subtle coloration of the flesh tones, and comparing them with the finest examples from the Theodor Graf collection.
Literature comparison:
Compare a similarly fragmentary mummy portrait of a young man, dated 170-190 AD, in the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, inv. no. 1500-5. Compare a fragmentary female mummy portrait from Roman Egypt, dated 275-325 AD, painted in tempera on sycomore fig wood, in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, inv. no. MNC 1697 (P 206). Compare a fragmentary female mummy portrait from Roman Egypt, dated 140-160 AD, painted in tempera on limewood, in the British Museum, London, inv. no. EA5619.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 6 December 2012, lot 56
Mid-Estimate: USD 125,000 or approx. EUR 158,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian tempera mummy portrait of a man, Roman Period, circa late 3rd century AD
Expert remark: Compare the closely related male subject, painted wood medium, narrow panel format, turned head, white garments, and expressive treatment of the face. Note the larger size (38.7 x 21.9 cm) and restored condition.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 9 June 2011, lot 66
Price: USD 43,750 or approx. EUR 56,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian painted wood mummy portrait of a woman, Roman Period, circa 100-140 AD
Expert remark: Compare the closely related tempera technique, painted wood medium, narrow panel format, large expressive eyes, and naturalistic modeling of the facial features. Note the similar size (25.4 cm high) and female subject.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 5 February 2026, lot 16
Price: USD 889,000 or approx. EUR 755,000 converted at the time of writing
Description: A mummy portrait of a man, Roman Egypt, Flavian period, circa late 1st century AD, encaustic on wood, probably sycamore, 32.5 x 15.4 cm.
Expert remark: Compare the related Roman-Egyptian funerary portrait tradition, wooden support, frontal presentation, and naturalistic treatment of the sitter. Note the earlier Flavian dating, larger size (32.5 cm high), and the different technique.
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