Afa Naeem

Class: HADA I
Instructor: Omer Wasim

February 21st, 2019

Akhenaten and Nefertiti and Their Daughters

Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their daughters, Amarna period, 1349-1336 B.C. Limestone relief, 13 x 15 in. (33.0 x
38.1 cm). Staatlich Museen, Berlin, Germany.
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Ancient Egyptian art is universally characterized by its fusion of dimensionalities, distinguished

use of symbolism, and prominently for its consistent nature. Except for a few minor stylistic

modifications, the art form did not experience a great deal of alteration over the span of its

existence. This, however, temporarily changed during the reign of Amenhotep IV, best known as

Akhenaten. Noted for his institution of a monotheistic religion throughout Egypt1, Akhenaten

also majorly influenced its otherwise static art form. In this paper, I will address this, temporary,

yet radical shift in ancient Egyptian art and its characteristics. Doing this will provide an insight

into the art produced during Akhenaten's rule and its peculiar nature in comparison to the

antecedent geometrical art form of ancient Egypt. I propose to limit my discussion to the thirteen

by fifteen-inch limestone relief of Akhenaten and his family rendered during the Amarna period2,

roughly around 1349-1336 B.C. The house altar, currently placed in the Staatliche Museum of

Berlin, Germany, portrays Akhenaten's relationship with his family and additionally, their

relationship to the God they worshiped.

The small sunken relief titled Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their daughters depicts Akhenaten,

the ancient Pharaoh of Egypt, and his principal wife Nefertiti along with three of their daughters.

On the left, Akhenaten, seated, can be seen tenderly holding in his hands, and about to kiss one

of the three daughters present. The offspring then, with one of her father's hands securing her

head and the other firmly placed under her thighs, ostensibly points back to her mother. On the

1
After declaring his wife, Nefertiti and himself as the only representatives of Aten, the sun god, on Earth,
Amenophis (meaning, Amun is content) changed his name to Akhenaten (meaning, beneficial to Aten) to pay tribute
to the new god and to mark the new era of the monotheism.
Jessica Joyce Christie, Akhenaten’s Amarna in New Kingdom Egypt: Relations of Landscape and Ideology,
(University Press of Colorado, 2016.), 25-64.
2
An epoch of Egyptian history during the latter half of the eighteenth dynasty, marked by the reign of Akhenaten.
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other side is Nefertiti herself, another daughter on her lap, gesturing towards her father and yet, a

third, the youngest, perched on her shoulder is seen playing with her mother's earring.

Instantaneously, the family's unusual anatomy becomes apparent. The body forms engraved

appear to have overlong proportions, elongated skulls are attached to forward bending necks,

unnaturally thin arms and legs contrast their broad hips and swollen bellies. This somewhat

distorted structure, typical of Amarna art3, has led to a great deal of speculation. Some historians

believe that this was purely a stylistic break meant to distinguish “heretic”4 pharaoh’s reign from

that of other Pharaohs. While others expand upon the unusualness of sovereignty being depicted

with physical deformities. It is propounded for this to have been a consequence of the king's

reforms, that allowed artists to portray reality and possibly exaggerate imperfect features.

Therefore, it is plausible that Akhenaten actually had overlong proportions and surviving works

of art are just slightly fabricated forms of this unusual appearance.5

Contrasting visual elements display a major distinction between the couple and the daughters.

For instance, the ancient Egyptian tradition of using hierarchal scale is strictly incorporated into

the composition, the daughters are depicted as miniature adults rather than their true proportions.

The incision technique majorly varies as well, Akhenaten and Nefertiti are, both, carved much

3
During the Amarna period, under Akhenaten’s reign, Egyptian artistic style changed immensely. Curving lines
replaced rigid lines and structures leaned towards curvilinear end rather than the predominantly geometric Egyptian
style.
4
Ogden Goelet, Nudity In Ancient Egypt, (Source: Notes in the History of Art 12, no. 2, 1993).
5
Ahad Eshraghian and Bart Loeys, Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: A Possible Solution for Akhenaten’s and His Family’s
Mystery Syndrome, (South African Medical Journal 102, no. 8, 2012).
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deeper into the stone than the daughters. Both of these factors further signify Akhenaten and

Nefertiti's higher ranks in reference to Aten.

In the center, rendered as the sun disk, is the god Aten6; pouring down rays of light onto the

family, who appears to be basking in its prolific beams. Upon close examination, the straight

lines radiating out from the divinity appear to terminate into miniature hands, with the exception

of the rays ending right at the faces of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. The hands in question are carved

to be holding Ankhs, the Egyptian symbol of eternal life, for the king and queen to breathe in.

This detail not only symbolizes their position as sole earthly representatives of Aten but also

unifies them with the supreme deity. This unification is emphasized yet again by the presence of

three cobras7 in the plaque. The first appears seated on the base of the sun disk itself, the second

on the front of the king's combined Hedjet8 and Deshret9 crowns and the third, on the front of

Nefertiti's tall crown. It is noteworthy that the serpents on the crowns appear to be gazing up at

the one seated above. In the background, among other hieroglyphic10 engravings, cartouches11,

inscriptions with the names and titles of people portrayed, surround the sun disk and its rays.

Additional impressions can also be seen on the couple's thrones. Nefertiti, despite being born a

commoner, is seated on a throne with a comparatively more complex design than the king’s. The

detailing on her throne represents her rule over both Upper and Lower Egypt, hence giving a

sense of her importance, both, in Akhenaten's life and in Egypt's history as queen.

6
“Above all, he promoted and possibly invented a monotheistic cult of the Aten.”
Alan R. Schulman and Cyril Aldred, Akhenaten Pharaoh of Egypt: A New Study, (Journal of the American Research
Center in Egypt 8, 1969).
7
Victoria De Rijke, The Continuum Encyclopedia Of Animal Symbolism In Art By Hope B Werness, (The Art Book
15, no. 1, 2008).
8
White crown of Upper Egypt.
9
Red crown of Lower Egypt.
10
The formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, has a total of around 1000 distinct characters.
11
Rectangles with curved ends framing the name of the king.
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The informal display of domesticity in the relief is another unique detail that appends to the

relief's significance considering itdeviates from the conventional portrayal of royalties at the

time. This sense of intimacy and informality isaccentuated by curvilinear forms that dominate the

relief. The curvature in said forms helps achieve a softness that is active throughout the plaque

and is chiefly emphasized by the drapery and the material seen flowing behind Akhenaten and

Nefertiti's necks. This use of undulating curving lines instead of the typically horizontal and

vertical ones used in most Egyptian art is the core of Amarna art. And although these curvilinear

details provide an absolute contrast to the usually rectilinear and geometric structure of

traditional Egyptian art, elements of conventional Egyptian sculpture are also present, one being

the amalgamated view of the subject's bodies. Another, the infamous hieroglyphics. The

coexistence of both forms, rectilinear and curvilinear, highlights the relief's seamless concinnity.

The peculiar nature of Amarna art has been theorized to be some form of religious symbolism

that ties into Akhenaten's fixation on challenging norms throughout ancient Egypt, whether

religious or artistic. Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their daughters is one of the many notable

artworks produced during his reign while he propagated Aten, the sun god, throughout Egypt. It

is possible that Akhenaten made use of this distinctive art form to further his own religious

agenda. However, the distinctive art produced during his rule is undeniably unprecedented in

ancient Egyptian art.

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Bibliography

1. Christie, Jessica Joyce. Akhenaten’s Amarna in New Kingdom Egypt: Relations of

Landscape and Ideology. Political Landscapes of Capital Cities, 2016.

2. Schulman, Alan R., and Cyril Aldred. Akhenaten Pharaoh of Egypt: A New Study.

Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 8

(1969).https://www.jstor.org/stable/44449183?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

3. Rijke, Victoria De. The Continuum Encyclopedia Of Animal Symbolism In Art By Hope B

Werness." The Art Book 15, no. 1 (2008).

4. Goelet, Ogden. Nudity In Ancient Egypt. Source: Notes in the History of Art 12, no. 2

(1993): 20-31.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23202932?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

5. Eshraghian, Ahad, and Bart Loeys. Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: A Possible Solution for

Akhenaten’s and His Family’s Mystery Syndrome. South African Medical Journal 102,

no. 8 (2012).https://www.ajol.info/index.php/samj/article/view/79676/69953