Portrait of a Woman

2nd century

Egyptian 2nd Century

Associated Names
Egyptian 2nd Century

Painter

The image shows the upper body of a person, focusing on the face and shoulders. The person is facing forward, looking directly at the viewer. The facial features are painted with large dark eyes, defined eyebrows, a straight nose, and a closed mouth with full lips. Their dark hair is styled on top of their head. The person is wearing a garment in shades of purple, with visible gold and white bands. Earrings with small dots of red and white hang from the ears. The painting is aged, with noticeable signs of wear and peeling occurring from the wood it was painted on.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    encaustic on wood

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Lewis Einstein

  • Dimensions

    overall: 34.6 x 11.5 cm (13 5/8 x 4 1/2 in.)
    framed: 42.6 x 19.1 cm (16 3/4 x 7 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1956.12.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Probably European (Paris) art market; acquired by Louis Einstein [1877-1967], Paris; gift 1956 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1972

  • Styles in Portraiture, Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association, Alexandria, Virginia, 1972, no catalogue.

Bibliography

2017

  • Katz, Brigit. "How 21st-Century Technology is Shedding Light on a 2nd-Century Egyptian Painting." Smithsonian.com (26 December 2017): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-new-imaging-technique-revealed-secrets-ancient-portrait-180967633/, accessed 28 December 2017.

Wikidata ID

Q20172887

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