Portrait of a Woman c. 2th century

This is an encaustic on wood portrait of a woman, created by an anonymous artist, part of a tradition of funerary portraits in Roman Egypt. These portraits offer a glimpse into the lives of people living in Egypt under Roman rule, a melting pot of cultures and identities. The woman's serene expression invites us to reflect on her life. Her adornments of jewelry and refined clothing speak to a certain status, yet the weathered wood reminds us of the passage of time, and the fragility of existence. The creation of these portraits reveals how the cultural elite adopted Roman fashion, while maintaining indigenous Egyptian funerary customs. These portraits served a ritual purpose, and they remind us that identity is always a negotiation between self-representation and cultural expectations. They point to the complexities of identity in a multicultural world.