Art, Religion and Akhenaten

Tyrant or Visionary?Continuity and ChangeHistorical Perspectives

Do you notice any changes in Egyptian art?

2530 BCE2680 BCE

Statues

Changes?

2400 BCE

1200 BCE

Did portrayals of pharaohs change?

Kafra2570 BCE

Hatshepsut1470 BCE Akhenaten

1340 BCE

Someone who is characterized by new ideasVISIONARY

TYRANTAn oppressive, harsh ruler who governs without

restrictions

The Original Main God

Amun

Penn Museum, Amarna: Ancient Egypt’s Place in the Sun, N.d., http://www.penn.museum/sites/amarna/about2.shtml (Feb. 29, 2012). British Museum, Ancient Egypt, Gods and Goddesses, 1999, http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html (Feb. 29, 2012).

The New Main God

BBC History, Ancient Egyptian Gods Gallery, Aten, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/gods_gallery_11.shtml (Feb. 29, 2012); British Museum, Ancient Egypt, Gods and Goddesses, 1999, http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html (Feb. 29, 2012).

Aten – the Sun Disk with protruding rays that have hands

The Family

Kate Spence, Akhenaten and the Amarna Period, BBC History, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/akhenaten_01.shtml (Feb. 29, 2012); Brooklyn Museum, Statue of Nykara and his Family, N.d., http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/3544/Statue_of_Nykara_and_his_Family (Sept. 26, 2013).

The family of Akhenaten and Nefertiti

Nykara and his family, Old Kingdom

Dad

Metropolitan Museum, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Head of Amenhotep III, 2012, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/56.138 (Feb. 29, 2012).

Head of Amenhotep III, father of Akhenaten

Nature

Metropolitan Museum, Heillbrunn Timeline of Art History Akhenaten Sacrificing a Duck, 2012 (Feb. 29, 2012).

Roofless Temple at Amarna

University College London, Digital Egypt for Universities, Amarna: the main temple, 2002, http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/amarna/temple.html (Feb. 29, 2012).

Temple Model

Model of the Aten Temple at Amarna

Amarna Project, Tour of the Model, 2010, http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/model_of_the_city/ (Feb. 29, 2012).

Wife

Metropolitan Museum, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Relief of Nefertiti, 2012, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/61.117 (Feb. 29, 2012).

Exaggerated style

Natural Style

Natural, subtle, in perspective

Metropolitan Museum, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, A Royal Hand, 2012, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1985.328.1 (Feb. 29, 2012).

Son

Head of Tutankhamun under the hand of Amun

Metropolitan Museum, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Head of Tutankhamun, 2012, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/50.6 (Feb. 29, 2012).

Father and Son?Father and Son?

National Geographic, Photo Gallery: Who Was King Tut’s Father? 2010, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/06/photogalleries/tut-pictures/photo2.html (Feb. 29, 2012).