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Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye

Roman Period
190–210 CE
Not on view
The faint growth of hair on the jaws and upper lip identify the subject of this painting as a youth. Remarkably, his right eye seems to show signs of an abnormality that has been treated. The grayish fold of skin below the lower lid, the lack of lashes, and the slightly slack right cheek may be traces of the abnormality; the straight line on the lower lid suggests a surgical cut to relieve the condition. The palette of this panel is considerably lighter than that of the other panels in these galleries, but it does resemble that of certain paintings from Hawara in the Fayum.

Panel portraits continue to fascinate visitors and scholars in our day and age. This portrait here was even used to illustrate racist and antisemitic literature. To learn more about this dark moment in the object’s biography, read the curatorial interpretation (also available, with images, here).

For more on the technique used to create this portrait, see 09.181.1.

Link to the Artist Project
Y.Z. Kami on Egyptian mummy portraits

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye
  • Period: Roman Period
  • Date: 190–210 CE
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Encaustic on limewood
  • Dimensions: H. 35 x W. 17.2 cm (13 3/4 x 6 3/4 in.)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1909
  • Object Number: 09.181.4
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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3538. Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye

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