- Statue of Akhenatem B. Stele of Akhenaten Nefertiti and Three Daughters
The first statue depicts an artistic impression of Akhenaton, who was a famous Egyptian king or Pharaoh from the 18th dynasty. Akhenaten is also referred to as Amenhotep IV. He ruled Egypt for about 17 years and died around 1334 BC (Bussman, 557). He is famed for trying to introduce monotheism or the worship of one God in Egypt to replace polytheism. He failed in that attempt and soon after his death traditional polytheistic worship continued to reign in Egypt (Bussman, 556). During his period as King, Akhenaten married Nefertiti.
There are various accounts of Akhenaten that state, that he was a lunatic while others state that he was a brilliant and revolutionary man. The accounts presented in the artwork are divided on this issue. The stele about Akhenatem, his queen Nefertiti and their three daughters depicts an ordinary family man with no traces of his controversial personal figure. However, the statue portrays him in a feminine figure with exaggerated hips and feminine facial features. Tyldesley notes that artists describe Akhenaten’s statue as unrealistic and sexless, which was perhaps the intention of the statue’s sculptors to bring about an image of madness in dressing by the King and other unrealistic attributes (26). Akhenatem’s attempt to convert Egypt to monotheism caused his unpopularity and hence the widespread allegation that he was a lunatic.
The small stele of Akhenaten Nefertiti and three daughters gives art and history lovers an opportunity to view King Akhenaten and his family in their private life. The stele shows the King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti with their three daughters. King Akhenaten holds one daughter close to his face while the queen holds one daughter on her lap and the other leans against her shoulder (Gibson, 34). They are portrayed holding their daughters playfully and facing each other while with the sun shining onto their faces.
The presentation of Akhenaten’s seemingly admirable life as a loving family man outshines the artistic impressions that show him as an uncaring lunatic. He married a beautiful commoner girl called Nefertiti just like his father who had reigned as king before him (Spence). The artistic impression shows a beautiful Egyptian girl in all entirely of the Egyptian depiction of beauty full with headgear and robes that revealed the shoulders.
In their middle is the god Aten, which depicts the official monotheistic god that King Akhenaten advocated during his reign as king. It is the god of the Amarna period. In this case, the god is presented as a sun disc whose sun rays end in the hands proffering ‘ank’ signs (life-signs) to the royal family (Sooke). The sunrays appear as hands dangling at the ends, and they hold symbols of life to the noses of the royal couple. The artistic impression of this is that only through the divine intervention of the royal couple could ordinary people partake of the divine salvation offered by the Aten.
The stele shows strange body forms that have overlong proportions such as thin legs, wide hips, and forward-curving necks. Similarly, the sculpture of Pharaoh Akhenatem bears similar features of the broad hips and thin hands (Bussmann, 557). This style is typical of the Amarna artistic style, which inspired the creation of both works of art.
The sculpture of Akhenatem is a colossus work of art that shows the upper torso of the King. It was made from Beige sandstone during the 18th Dynasty (1352-1336 BCE). It is 4m in height and can be found at the Cairo Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The statue of Akhenaten shows missing lower legs and crown (Choice Reviews Online). Unlike the stele of Akhenaten and his family, that shows him in a relaxed, playful mood, this sculpture depicts him in a traditional pose.
The statue is feminine unlike the depiction of traditional Pharaohs who were all depicted as masculine. In line with Egyptian Kingship, the statue shows Akhenaten with his arms crossed over his chest. He holds a flail, and crook both of which are symbols of the Osiris and ancient Egyptian royalty (Bussmann, 557). There are traces of an artificial beard on his chin and neck. Apart from these features, several other elements differ from the traditional depiction of Egyptian Kings. His face shows drawn-in cheeks, thick, plump lips, elongated nose, and a slim face. All the other artwork is done to suit the feminine looks given to the face of the statue.
Many of the Kings were depicted as having broad shoulders and slim waists. However, Akhenaten’s statue shows him as being slim at the shoulders, with sagging breasts and broad hips. He is also shown as having a big belly. Traditionally, the pharaohs were depicted as having short kilts. However, Akhenaten is shown as being naked and without genitalia (Gibson, 36).
The statue shows a strange asexual image of the Pharaoh. The asexual portrayals of this royal couple as such in the sculptures as well as their depiction in the stele, with their daughters could signify fertility. Pharaoh Akhenaten is depicted in art as the primeval creator of the gods Tefnut and Shu.
Works Cited
Bussmann, Richard. "City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and its People, by Kemp Barry, 2012. London: Thames and Hudson; ISBN 978-0-500-29120-7 paperback £19.95; 320 pp., 287 ills. 53 in color." Cambridge Archaeological Journal 23.03 (2013): 557-559. Print.
Gibson, Clare. The hidden life of ancient Egypt: decoding the secrets of the lost world. New York: Fall River Press: 2009. Print.
Sooke, Alastair. "Akhenaten: mad, bad, or brilliant?" The telegraph. N.P., 1 Sept. 2014. Web. 23 June 2014. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/10561090/Akhenaten-mad-bad-or-brilliant.html>.
Spence, Kate. "BBC." BBC News. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 June 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/akhenaten_01.shtml>.
"The city of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and its people." Choice Reviews Online 50.07 (2013): 50-4002-50-4002. Print.
Tyldesley, Joyce A. Nefertiti: Egypt's sun queen. Rev. Ed. London: Penguin, 2005. Print.
