What are some features that differ in this work from previous figurative Egyptian art
What is the name of the piece in the image below. Who is represented in it? What are some features that differ in this work from previous figurative Egyptian art? Finally, what does this approach / depiction of the figures mean about Egyptian society and religion at the time it was created?
The name of the piece below is a “house altar” from the year 1350 BCE showing Akhenaten, Nefertiti and three of their daughters. Akhenaten was an Egyptian king who ruled from circa 1353–1336 BCE (Mark, 2014). He was remarkable for introducing monotheism to Egypt. The artistic period during which this artwork was produced is called Amarna art, after the city which Akhenaten built (Hill, 2010). During this time, the empire’s chief sculptor Bek was given the instruction to depict whatever he saw (Hill, 2010). This may have been inspiration for him to depict the king in a way that deviated from the beauty standards of his time. The features where this piece differs from other periods of Egyptian art in the aesthetic respect in that the king Akhenaten is depicted with a lanky figure. Furthermore, the king and the queen seem equal and the glimpse on them is a very intimate one. It can be assumed that the royal couple had a lot of charisma during that time and played a big representative role. They are depicted with their children as babies and this emphasizes the human character of the pharaoh, whereas other pharaohs portrayed themselves as more distant and superhuman to their subjects. The artwork shows that Akhenaten laid great emphasis on giving off a naturalistic impression about himself, and wanted to remain in touch with his people. The sun disk at the top represents god of the time, who was called Aton. He is the sole and supreme ruler. The fact that the sun rays of Aten go on both the pharaoh and his wife symbolizes that god is in favor of the king. This in turn can be interpreted as a king that brings blessings on his people.
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Art has been of significant value to the human race. Over time, art has been used to, among other things, express the feelings of the painter or sculptor. In the case of sculptors, these pieces of art can be used to preserve the history of a said people. It is especially so since, unlike paintings, carvings take a long time to disintegrate and get destroyed………………………………….
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