Funerary portraits, Fayum, Egypt, c. 1-3rd Century CE, encaustic on wooden panel

Roman painting provides us with very naturalistic depictions of the people who lived during that era. These portraits, found in Fayum, Egypt, were created as funerary memorials and placed on the mummified remains. Although there seems to be exaggerated emphasis on the eyes, the images appear to be very true likenesses of the dearly departed.