![]() ![]() Others argued that instead for a symbolic interpretation, and that he may have directed his artists to contrast him with the ordinary people through a radical departure from the idealized traditional pharaoh image.ĭepictions of other members of the court, especially members of the royal family, are also extraordinarily stylized and exaggerated.Īkhenaten’s family are shown taking part in naturalistic activities, showing affection for each other, and being caught in mid-action.Īlso, Queen Nefertiti enjoyed an unusual status for a queen. In many cases, representations were more realistic or naturalistic.Īkhenaten’s portrayals were unconventional with broad hips and a thin, exaggeratedly long face and thick lips.īased on Akhenaten’s and his family’s unusual artistic representations, some have argued that the pharaoh and his family suffered from various syndromes. The styles of art that flourished during the reign of Akhenaten was markedly different from the traditional art of ancient Egypt. The pharaoh chose a site that was about halfway between Thebes, the capital at the time, and Memphis. He discovered a 300-square-foot (28 m2), painted pavement of garden and animals and hunting scenes.Īkhenaton and Nefertiti with 3 of their daughters, under the rays of the sun god Aton – Neues Museum Amarna and its ArtĪkhenaten decreed that a new capital city be built called Akhetaten, better known today as Amarna. Petrie worked on the temple of Aten at Tell-el-Amarna, starting in 1891. ![]() Images of the royal family and their monuments were destroyed, and the Royal Court returned to Thebes as the new city was abandoned. The wall may have also suffered this damage after the end of Akhenaten’s reign when there was a counter-revolution against the changes he had introduced. Ants had damaged the wall, and its preservation is a tribute to the remarkable skills of the archaeologist. William Flinders Petrie excavated the fresco in the 1890s at Tell el-Amarna. This painting was made on a thin layer of gesso – powdered gypsum mixed with glue – applied to mud plaster on a brick wall. The interest in Akhenaten and Nefertiti increased with the discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb and the discovery of Amarna’s unique style of the pictorial arts they patronized. He has been described as enigmatic and revolutionary, and she as a great beauty. Still, Akhenaten was all but lost to history until the late 19th century with the discovery of ancient Akhetaten, the capital city he built.Īkhenaten’s rediscovery and the excavations at Amarna sparked great public interest in the pharaoh and his queen Nefertiti. ![]() His successor was Tutankhamun, who changed his name from Tutankhaten. His statues and revolutionary art were destroyed, and his name was excluded from lists of rulers compiled by later pharaohs. The priests did not accept this shift away from traditional religion, and after his death, Akhenaten’s monuments were dismantled and hidden. He was initially known as Amenhotep IV, but he abandoned Egypt’s traditional polytheistic religion and introducing worship centered on Aten. The style and subject of this painting are in direct contrast to conventional Egyptian art and reflects the revolutionary character of the Amarna period.Īkhenaten was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh reigning c. The elongated skulls may have a theological or cultural reason such as imitating the skull of certain newborns or their father’s fashion. The princesses are reproduced with similar deformations but much more pronounced. Some skull bandage was practiced and the mummy of Tutankhamun shows that his skull was slightly deformed. Some ancient royal skulls have been found with elongated shape but not to such a degree or shape depicted in this fragment. The princesses, following an ancient tradition, are represented with shaved heads. This small fragment shows the two Princesses sitting casually on floor cushions in the foreground. The larger fragment of the wall painting depicted Akhenaten and Nefertiti relaxing with their daughters. ![]() At the new city, the king lived with his queen, Nefertiti, and their six daughters in a newly decorated Royal Court. The “Princesses Fresco” depicts the informal theme of palace life at the new capital city called Akhetaten, built by pharaoh Akhenaten. Akhenaten and Nefertiti’s Daughters – Princesses Fresco ![]()
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