Mummy Portrait of a Woman

A mature woman gazes out from this Romano-Egyptian mummy portrait. The name of the woman, Isidora, is written on what remains of the cartonnage, or linen mummy case. She wears an elegant, braided hairstyle that was fashionable in the early 100s A.D., and she is fully accessorized with a gold hairpin, gold-and-pearl earrings, and three necklaces heavy with gold and jewels.

At the time of her burial, the wreath in her hair and the diamond pattern around the edge of the portrait were added in gold leaf. Also tiny bits of gold leaf were added to her necklaces and earrings, which were originally rendered only in yellow paint.

To begin, Isidora would have applied an ancient Roman face cream made of beef fat, wheat starch, and tin oxide. This mix is not too far from what is used today in modern cosmetics like tinted moisturizers.

For eye-catching lashes and brows, Isidora would have applied kohl. Here is a glass kohl container. Interestingly, just like many do today, the ancients may have used more than one hue to color their eyes.

Fun fact: kohl is the Arabic word for antimony, and was thought to be effective in curing eye infections. Kohl has been used as a cosmetic since ancient Egyptian times.

The Isidora Master is the name given to the artist who painted a distinctive mummy portrait of a woman in the Getty Museum’s collection. He takes his name from the word Isidora written on the side of the cartonnage, which presumably refers to the name of the woman depicted in the portrait.

The Isidora Painter worked in Roman Egypt early in the 100s A.D. His painting style is identified by his adept handling of the tiny spatula used to apply the encaustic, or wax paint, and his subtle use of color and highlights.

Although little of the mummy case is preserved, it belonged to a small group of mummies wrapped in characteristic reddish-colored shrouds. In Egyptian religion, red is associated with life and regeneration.

Roman Period, ca. 100-110 AD. Made of linen, pigment, and gold; encaustic on wood. Now in the J. Paul Getty Museum, 81.AP.42