1. Portrait of a Man
3rd century, Fayum, Egypt, encaustic technique.
Fayum portraits are considered to be the precursor to icons, as
early Christians used the same encaustic technique, painting
with pigments mixed with melted wax. The first icons were
illustrations primarily intended to propagate the faith. However, the
memorializing of early martyrs was also practiced according to
the same tradition, and it involved the creation of portraits which
became the earliest icons.
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ICONS OF THE HELLENIC WORLD