mummy portraitEver wondered who painted the first portraits in encaustic? The artist who were alive in the 1st century BC, in Egypt, left over 900 paintings such as the one you see. Those early artists painted on panel, and these realistic portrait were then placed over the faces of mummies. I like to imagine a lead artist, working with hot metal tools, with assistants heating the tools, heating the paint and grinding colors.  Learn more about mummy portraits by checking wikipedia, or your local bookstore