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Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Three DaughtersAkhenaton, Nefertiti, and three daughters © bpk, Berlin/Staatliche Museen/Art Resource, NY

Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters

New Kingdom (Amarna), 18th Dynasty. c. 1353–1335 B.C.E. Limestone.

Curator Note

"A radical break from tradition: Akhenaten shifted the religion to monotheism (Aten) and the art style to informal intimacy. Here, a pharaoh is shown kissing his child—unheard of in Egyptian art."

Form

  • Sunken relief carving (figures cut into the stone), typical of the Amarna period.
  • Amarna Style: Elongated skulls, thin arms, swelling bellies, and heavy thighs.
  • Curvilinear lines replace the rigid rectilinear forms of traditional Egyptian art.
  • Composite view is maintained, but with more fluid and casual postures.
  • Limestone stele, small enough for domestic use.

Function

  • House altar for private worship in a domestic setting.
  • Propaganda for the new monotheistic religion (Atenism).
  • Reinforced the idea that the Royal Family was the only path to the god Aten.
  • Replaced the traditional pantheon of gods in the daily lives of citizens.
  • Served as a focal point for family prayer.

Content

  • Akhenaten (left) and Nefertiti (right) seated on cushioned thrones holding their three daughters.
  • Intimate, informal interaction: Akhenaten kisses a child; Nefertiti bounces one on her lap.
  • The Sun Disk (Aten) dominates the top, extending rays that end in Ankhs (symbol of life) held to the royal noses.
  • Inscriptions in hieroglyphs identify the figures and the god.
  • Nefertiti's throne has symbols of Upper/Lower Egypt, showing her power.

Context

  • Created during the Amarna Period (c. 1353–1335 B.C.E.), a brief religious revolution.
  • Akhenaten moved the capital to Akhetaten (Amarna) and banned the worship of Amun.
  • This radical style and religion lasted only for his reign; Egypt returned to orthodoxy under Tutankhamun.
  • The "androgynous" body features may symbolize the sexless nature of the sun god Aten.
  • Demonstrates a shift from the timeless/eternal to the ephemeral/momentary.