If anything, the style of Akhenaton would tend to emphasize positive features, and perhaps even idealize the figure. The change in style may be attributed to Akhenaton's introduction of monotheism into Egypt. Ahten, the one God into which all other Egyptian deities were formed, was usually portrayed as a sun figure. In keeping with Ahten's supremacy and the tendency of Egyptian monarchs to affiliate them with the prevailing deity, Akhenaton called himself the "One Unique of Re," signifying his individualism.
Because of this, Egyptian artists of the time began the movement to the previously mentioned idealistic portrayal of the human in art.
The representation of Akhenaton and his family members, therefore, was focused primarily on the favorable features and to deemphasize any flaws. The artist Bek is known to have developed sculpture of Akhenaton in such a favorable manner that the monarch used his physical appearance to represents the Egyptian god Re. Bek's work is more naturalistic than previously seen, especially the work most famously attributed to him, the bust of Nefertiti. Bek's work is noteworthy and representative of the period in that his sculptures have long faces, high foreheads, large lips, prominent chins, wide and elongated eyes, a three dimensional representation. As the period progressed, the art becomes even more exaggerated in form with figures demonstrated as having long skinny torsos and arms, but with the fuller hips, stomachs and thighs which demonstrated power and fertility.
Subject matter also changed. Rather than the rigid poses seen as in the statue of King Khafre, and although formal poses of the king continued to be important, we also see portrayals of the royal family in day-to-day activities such as playing with their children. Animals and birds begin to be shown in a non-representational manner and the...
On viewing extensive amounts of Egyptian art, the similarities between the subjects and styles is somewhat astounding to a Western eye, which is more trained to notice the different signs of individual artists. It easily becomes clear that though the Egyptians saw aesthetic value in art and material things, most of the artwork they left behind -- especially in tombs and funerary chapels -- serve a much higher purpose
Moreover, this particular work displays some of the key characteristics of Isis. In addition to her magical powers, Isis represented for Egyptian culture the model of perfection for womanhood. This model, of course, includes the role of the woman as a mother, which is why it is vital that she is breast-feeding her newborn in this sculpture. It is also key to understand the fact that Horus was one of
The "Stela" was made around 1350 BCE, during the amarna period, and depicts Akhenaten, who initiated monotheism in Egypt, and his consort Nerfiti, in a limestone relief carving. The "Stela" represents the pharaoh and his family in a naturalistic manner that breaks from the traditional Egyptian stylization. The royal couple hold their three babies underneath the sun in a garden setting. The lines of the carving are more fluid, and
Artists express feelings, thoughts, and images within their art. Sometimes they show more than that and paint their spirit on canvas. Spirituality was an important aspect of identity for many throughout the centuries and millennia. In modern times, artists like Georges Braque and Wassily Kandinsky wished to showcase the essence of the intangible by illustrating it through unique patterns and shapes. During the Renaissance period, and during the Baroque
These pyramids were the resting places of these kings and pharaohs' sacred bodies, which the Egyptians believed should be preserved if the soul should live beyond. This explains why they prevented the decay of the corpses through a mysteriously elaborate method of embalming as mummies. They lay these mummies in stone coffins and wrote incantations to assist them in their journey in the next world. The Egyptians meant that
Egyptian Art's Influence on the 1920's development of 'Art Deco' and Contemporary Interior Design Today The triumph of art over nature. Thus Egyptian interior decor, art, and design may be contrasted with the art of Greece and Rome during the ancient, classical era. This triumph of art over nature as exhibited in Egyptian art and design, however, did not merely speak to the fashioners of this national language of art. It
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