Roman soldier portrait/Eton College

[richsc]

In the current Minerva, Vol 11 No. 8, p.19, is an article on "Egyptian Art at Eton College". At the bottom of the page is a painting of 'a soldier' from 165AD, which it says is a Roman portrait. It may not be the entire portrait, as it's just the head and bit of the torso, but the tunic is white. And I dont' know how they determined it's a soldier, but this would seem to add to the evidence of white for tunics.<br>
Has anyone seen this portrait at Eton College? <p>Richard<br>
An enthusiast and scholar wannabe<b>
[email protected] </p><i></i>

[richsc]

I should have put this in as the Great Tunic Debate. While the curator is still away, the Eton staff has very kindly sent me the following. Copies of the portrait are available for 17 pounds.<br>
I should also note that Simon James of Leicester Univ. sent me a b&w image from one of his Dura Europos publications where the legionaries (about 230ad) are wearing white tunics with purple stripes.<br>
<br>
"The Eton portrait represents an anonymous adult man wearing the tunic<br>
and decorated sword strap typical of an army officer of the Roman army.<br>
His hairstyle recalls sculptured portraits of the emperor Lucius Verus<br>
(r. AD 161-69), during whose reign the officer would have served. The<br>
panel is said to have come from the large and wealthy cemetary of<br>
el-Rubaiyat in the Faiyum; other portraits from there attest to the<br>
existence of a particularly skilled studio of encaustic painters, their<br>
output contrasting starkly with the works in tempera also known from the<br>
site. Analysis has shown that the Myers portrait is painted on limewood<br>
- of Mediterranean origin, like oak, yew, and fir used for such<br>
paintings." <p>Richard<br>
An enthusiast and scholar wannabe<b>
[email protected] </p><i></i>