Pharaoh Akhenaten, wearing his crown and sitting on a cushioned throne, tenderly holds a child on his lap; the child, most often identified as Akhenaten’s eldest daughter, Meritaten, touches her father’s elbow as she turns her head to receive his kiss.
For reasons not fully understood, royal Egyptian art changed dramatically during the revolutionary reign of Akhenaten (c. 1350–1334 B.C.). Earlier pharaohs were shown posed impassively beside their equally expressionless queens (and, rarely, children) in idealized, iconic representations; during Akhenaten’s rule such poses gave way to informal and even intimate portraits of the pharaoh’s family. The charming, albeit unfinished, limestone sculpture shown here measures 15.5 inches and is typical of royal art from the era of Akhenaten. It can be seen in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Even more dramatic than the changes in artistic styles were the religious reforms introduced by Akhenaten during his relatively brief rule. By his sixth regnal year, he had instituted a new, monotheistic brand of sun worship, banned the traditional Egyptian cult of Amun, chief god of that period, and moved the Egyptian capital from Thebes to a site in Middle Egypt now called el-Amarna. He also seems to have instigated the naturalistic turn in Egyptian royal art: The chief sculptor to pharaoh’s court, Bek, recorded on a stela that he himself was taught by the king. The affectionate moment between father and daughter captured here indicates that court artists had hitherto unparalleled access to the royal family.
But these changes in religion and art were destined not to last long. After the demise of Akhenaten, the old cult of Amun was reinstated, the capital was restored to Thebes and royal portraiture gradually returned to the formal iconic poses of earlier generations.
Pharaoh Akhenaten, wearing his crown and sitting on a cushioned throne, tenderly holds a child on his lap; the child, most often identified as Akhenaten’s eldest daughter, Meritaten, touches her father’s elbow as she turns her head to receive his kiss.
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