The Technology, Examination and Conservation of the Fayum Portraits in the Petrie Museum

The chronology established for the production of the Fayum portraits is briefly outlined, followed by a review of the encaustic painting technique in which the controversy surrounding the nature of the binding medium used to execute these paintings is discussed. In a technical examination of three Fayum portraits in the Petrie Museum, the wooden support, binding medium and pigments present in each painting were identified. In addition, paint samples mounted as cross-sections served to elucidate the paint layer structure and to indicate the presence or absence of ground and/or priming layers. The techniques used to conserve a number of these paintings are outlined under the following headings: cleaning; treatment of the detached paint layer; repair and structural stabilization of the wooden support.