The APPEAR project has grown significantly since its formation in 2013: today it represents sixty-three institutions, bringing together scholars with diverse areas of expertise for the collaborative research, analyses, and exploration of ancient funerary paintings. This cooperative venture to develop a collective data platform has involved considerable international communication and meetings, two conferences, two publications, and many journal articles. None of this would have been possible without the generosity, insight, and guidance of many people. We are grateful to the J. Paul Getty Trust, and to those who have supported the project over the past twelve years, especially Timothy Potts, Robin Weissberger, and Richard Rand, as well as former Getty President and CEO James Cuno, who was instrumental in championing APPEAR from the outset.
The editors would not only like to thank the British Museum for their support over more than two decades but wish to recognize the invaluable participation of other collaborating institutions and their teams—they have provided the foundation for APPEAR and aided in its progress by enabling comparative surveys, open discussion, and inspiration to advance the study of ancient paintings. In supporting the project’s mission by making visible and analytical data accessible, these institutions have helped build a rich platform for collective growth and study. As a result, APPEAR has encouraged research, enabled discoveries, and provided a deeper connection to the ancient world by improving our understanding of materials and technology within Roman Egypt and beyond. Volumes 1 and 2 of Mummy Portraits of Roman Egypt: Emerging Research from the APPEAR Project are a testament to this significant research.
Any dedicated, multifaceted scholarly work requires a team of committed, knowledgeable individuals. Within the Getty we acknowledge the many people who have contributed to the success of APPEAR, particularly Brenda Podemski, Alexandra Bancroft, Neal Johnson, Wesley Walker, Jennifer Tanglao, Matthew Hrudka, David Newbury, Tina Priestley, and Susanne Gänsicke. We also want to express gratitude to all the dedicated participants included in this volume, our over 200 APPEAR members, and the supportive colleagues at the Allard Pierson Museum who made the 2022 conference possible: Ben van den Bercken, Els van der Plas, Rogier Rompen, and Pètra Huijgen. We thank the APPEAR steering committee and Caroline Roberts, Yosi Pozeilov, Karen Trentelman, Joy Mazurek, Daniel Kirby, Ben van den Bercken, and Lisa Bruno. Most especially, we are grateful to Julie Unruh, who developed and carefully maintains the online Tableau visualization that statistically summarizes the APPEAR database. This new and improved database would not have been possible without the expert team at Ace Workflow, specifically Garrett Houghton, Tim Rodgers, and Andy Wood.
The editors would also like to acknowledge the tremendous work put into the production of this digital publication. We express gratitude to the many people in Getty Publications who brought this book to fruition: Greg Albers, Rachel Barth, Danielle Brink, Nola Butler, Jeffrey Cohen, Clare Davis, Michelle Woo Deemer, Erin Dunigan, Victoria Gallina, Alex Hallenbeck, Kara Kirk, Elizabeth S. G. Nicholson, Jenny Park, and Leslie Rollins. We thank Katrina Posner, Amanda Sparrow, Courtney Johnson Thomas, Leslie Tilley, and Anne Canright for their meticulous editorial work and guidance. Additionally, we are grateful to the peer reviewers for their contributions and thoughtful assessments. We hope projects like APPEAR continue to fuel a passion for ancient materials, object biographies, and technology; a curiosity to explore; and collaboration that will enhance and open the possibility for more artistic connections and discoveries.