An Egyptian Tempera Mummy Portrait of a Man, Roman Period, circa late 3rd Century A.D.

painted on wood, turned slightly to his right and wearing a white chiton, himation, and red clavi, his youthful face with short beard and moustache, full bow-shaped lips, and furrowed brow beneath the thick, richly-curled hair.

from er-Rubayat
Theodor Graf (1840-1903), Vienna, 2nd Collection
Munich private collection (Dorotheum, Vienna, November 24th, 1932, no. 49)
W. Ephron, New York
Albert Gallatin, New York, acquired from the above in 1960
Estate of Albert Gallatin (Sotheby’s, London, June 13th, 1966, no. 46, illus.)
Denys Sutton (1917-1991), London, acquired between 1966 and 1972
by descent to the present owner

"Ancient Art in American Private Collections," Loan Exhibition at the Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 28th, 1954 - February 15th, 1955

John D. Cooney, “Egyptian Art in the Collection of Albert Gallatin,” Journal of Near-Eastern Studies, vol. 12, 1953, p. 19, no. 109, pl. LXIII
Ancient Art in American Private Collections, exh. cat., Cambridge, Mass., 1954, p. 37, no. 305
Ivory Hammer 4, The Year at Sotheby’s, 1965-1966, pl. 153
Barbara Borg, Mumienporträts : Chronologie und kultureller Kontext, Mainz, 1996, p. 80
Klaus Parlasca, Ritratti di mummie (Repertorio d’arte dell’Egitto Greco-romano, serie B – volume III), Rome, 1980, no. 512, pl. 124,4

Painting is stable, in very good condition and does not appear to have been retouched, which is unusual for objects of this type. Panel is split vertically down the middle with three areas of losses along the join, and reinforced in back with two horizontal wooden slats. There are bitumen stains along all edges (where linen was attached to panel) and large areas of staining in upper left quadrant and below neck. Note loss to right edge of panel as well as diagonal split and gash in upper right corner.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

On the back are three different numbers in pencil: “168,” “600196-14,” and “AV3848,” three triangular Austrian export stamps each reading "Von der Zentralstelle für Denkmalschutz zur Ausführ freigegeben," and a faint circular stamp reading “Sammlung Graf.”

Denys Miller Sutton (1917-1991) assumed the role of editor of the London-based arts magazine Apollo in 1962, and retained this position for about 25 years, during which he considerably expanded the scope of the publication, addressing sensitive art preservation issues, attracting new contributors among prominent art historians and writers, writing many articles himself, and devoting several issues to the collections of museums around the world. His strong and unrelenting interest in the visual arts was a lifelong pursuit: he served as secretary of the international commission for the restitution of cultural material after World War II, worked as an art critic for Country Life and the Financial Times, authored several books on painting, including works on Watteau, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Picasso, and Whistler, and organized several exhibitions abroad such as shows on Constable and Titian in Tokyo. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (vol. 53, Oxford, 2003, p. 382) describes him as an "astute collector of art."