Amarna Art and Architecture

Revolutionary Art

The Amarna period witnessed a religious revolution in ancient Egypt, as controversial ruler Akhenaten (1353 BC-1336 BC or 1351-1334 BC) sought a break from centuries of polytheist tradition by heavy-handedly compelling his people to worship one solitary deity – the sun god Aten, the universal creator of life.

Unsurprisingly, the artwork and architecture of the era reflected this revolution. Out went the traditional Egyptian style – strictly formal, idealised scenes showing chiseled men with perfect physiques. In came something new and much more severe; a technique that has been called both naturalistic and expressionistic.

A sense of movement and activity was prominent in images; figures had raised heads, scenes were busy and crowded. The royal family were for the first time shown in informal situations, even playing with their children. Human bodies in paintings and sculptures were shown with big ears, protruding chins, spindly limbs and flabby bellies; faces were shown exclusively in profile.

Temples did not follow traditional Egyptian custom and were often open, without ceilings or closing doors. Tombs were naturally devoted to just one god. They often bore extracts of the Hymn to the Aten, a short excerpt from which reveals the reverence in which this deity was held:

You rise with beauty in the horizon of the sky,
O living Aten, creator of life.
When you rise in the eastern horizon,
You fill every land with your beauty.

How Did Amarna Art Develop?

Akhenaten was a new king with big new ideas, and needed a fresh form of artwork and design to mirror his personality and beliefs – not least in his beloved one true god. So, instead of the traditional idealised manner, people were portrayed warts and all. This policy of highlighting imperfections is thought to have possibly reflected an attitude of deference to Aten.

Two fundamental figures in the development of art throughout the period were the succeeding master sculptures Bek and Thutmose. The former – influential in the early part of Akhenaten’s reign – claimed to have been taught by the Pharaoh himself, and was bluntly honest in his work almost to the point of caricature. The latter – active in the latter part of the Amarna period – shifted the prevailing style abruptly towards an ethos of severe realism. His portraits of the Amarna royal family are famous for being probably the most accurate in existence.

What Was Up With Akhenaten?

One of the most interesting questions posed by art of the Amarna period – in all its naturalistic honesty – is: what the heck was up with Akhenaten? His various portrayals are strange and eccentric, and show him with a sagging stomach, chunky thighs, enlarged breasts and a long, thin face.

Various theories have been posited by Egyptologists. Some have suggested that he may have had a genetic defect – perhaps elephantiasis or Froelich or Marfan’s Syndrome. The theory that Akhenaten was actually a women was an intruiging explanation, but proved unlikely. Others suggest that these representations aren’t to be taken literally, but rather relate to some form of religious symbolism.

Because the Pharaoh would undoubtedly have had to give his personal blessing to the use of his image in art of the period, he must have been willing – eager, in fact – for his body to be seen in this odd way. Whether it was realistic or not, it’s probably safe to assume that Akhenaten somehow considered a highly individual appearance – or at least the suggestion of one – to represent a divine blessing linking him to Aten. After all, he called himself Wa-en-Re, or “The Unique One of Re,” a title emphasising the fact that he was not like anyone else.

The Decline of Amarna Art

It’s very difficult to judge what was made of this new style of art founded in Amarna during the reign of Akhenaten, but we do know that it didn’t stand up to the scrutiny – or rather prejudices – of succeeding rulers. Akhenaten’s monotheistic kingship – and the Amarna period at large as a consequence – was considered an aberration, and his will was gradually eroded; after the dynasty died out with the passing of Tutankhamun in 1324 BC, official action was instigated against all the Amarna kings, and they were effectively written out of history.

This spelled doom for this new style of art, and many works of the period were summarily defaced and destroyed. Akhenaten’s tomb was targeted too, while his great capital city of el-Amarna (from which the period draws its name) fell into ruin, as many of its temples were dismantled and their stones taken away to build new structures. The influence of Amarna art lived on however, and traces of it can be identified in the work of succeeding dynasties.

Amarna Art In The Modern Age

Surviving works of Amarna art and architecture – for their break with the conventions of ancient Egyptian art at large – are naturally a source of great fascination in the modern era, and represent centerpieces of many museum collections.

The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh has an extensive collection of Amarna art, including a damaged red quartzite Shabti head found in the royal tomb of Akhetaten, possibly smashed during attempts to remove all traces of the Atenist ‘heresy’. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo, meanwhile, has parts of Akhetaten’s spectacular golden coffin, and a magnificent bust of Akhetaten carved in the typically elegant Amarna style.

By far the most famous Amarna piece of all is the bust of the Queen Nefertiti – Akhetaten’s wife – which today resides in the Altes Museum in Berlin. Attributed to the sculptor Thutmose, and found in his workshop in the ancient city, its beautiful lines and rich colour exemplify the intuitive understanding ancient Egyptians had of realistic facial proportions. It is one of the most copied works of its time, and responsible for Nefertiti often being referred to as “the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Image of statue of Akhenaten (top) by John Campana. Image of bust of Nefertiti (bottom) by Carlo Struglia. All rights reserved.

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About The Author

Malcolm Jack (follow me: e-mail or )

Last three pieces by this author:

10 Reasons Why Socrates is Still Relevant Today | Top 10 Ancient Greek Philosophers | Interview: Bettany Hughes on The Hemlock Cup and Bringing Ancient History Into the 21st Century

Malcolm Jack is a freelance arts and entertainment journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2004 with an MA Honours Degree in History.