Egypt on Sunday presented a restored version of the “Tondo of the Two Brothers”, a celebrated painting dating to the second century and part of the renowned Fayoum portrait collection.The restoration took three weeks, with experts from Rome working alongside conservators at the Egyptian museum in Tahrir, where the collection is normally housed, officials said at a press conference.Fayoum mummy portraits were typically created on thin wooden panels and placed over the faces of the dead beneath their mummy wrappings. The artworks reflect a fusion of Egyptian burial traditions and artistic styles from the broader Greco-Roman world.Egypt is preparing to loan a substantial portion of the collection for a temporary exhibition in Rome. The upcoming display will mark the collection’s first journey outside the country.Egyptian minister of tourism and antiquities Sherif Fathy said the restoration demonstrated how cooperation between countries could help safeguard and study cultural heritage.“The restoration of the Tondo of the Two Brothers is an important example of what can be achieved through international cooperation in the preservation and study of cultural heritage,” Fathy said.“Egypt and Italy share deep historical and cultural ties, and this project brings together Egyptian and Italian expertise to preserve an exceptional work of art for future generations,” he added.The painting stands out for its circular design and its portrayal of two figures, unlike the single-person subjects found in many other portraits. Experts consider it one of the most strikingly lifelike works to have survived from Roman-era Egypt.The artwork was made using a technique in which pigments are blended with molten wax. During the restoration, specialists managed to bring back the facial features of the brother positioned on the right, according to AP.Aly Abdel Halim, director general of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, said the conservation work required a delicate approach as the wooden panel had suffered termite damage and the painted surface was also fragile.The restored portraits will be displayed in Rome at an exhibition scheduled to run from November through May 2027.Tomaso Radaelli, chairman of MondoMostre, the exhibition’s organiser, said the show would feature more than 110 artefacts. These will include painted panels, funerary shrouds, masks, marble portraits, plaster casts and ancient jewellery.
