Join encaustic artist Francisco Benitez and paintings conservator Kate Smith as they discuss the ancient process of painting with beeswax.
Ancient artists from Roman-period Egypt created portraits on wooden panels to be placed on mummified bodies. The main technique used for these portraits was encaustic (wax) painting. These paintings can now be seen in museum collections around the world. In this presentation and conversation, contemporary encaustic artist Francisco Benitez and conservator of paintings Kate Smith will employ their expertise to bring new understanding to these ancient objects and allow us to appreciate the skills of the painters who made them 2,000 years ago.
Francisco Benitez is a professional artist as well as a student, and teacher, of ancient painting techniques. In workshops, he shares his research on using ancient, and modern, tools to paint with beeswax and to experiment with the Greek four-color palette. Kate Smith—with curatorial and analytical science colleagues—has spent nearly a decade studying the materials and techniques used in the production of the ancient Egyptian funerary portraits in the Harvard Art Museums collections.
Free admission, but seating is limited and reservations are required. Reservations may be arranged by clicking on the event on this form beginning on Monday, October 24, after 10am.
Additional time info:
Doors will open at 5:30pm. Following the lecture, guests are invited to visit the exhibition on Level 3.
2022/11/03 - 2022/11/03
Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance.