During the Amarna Period
Amarna Period
The Amarna Period was an era of Egyptian history during the later half of the Eighteenth Dynasty when the royal residence of the pharaoh and his queen was shifted to Akhetaten in what is now Amarna. It was marked by the reign of Amenhotep IV, who changed his name to Akhenaten in order to reflect the dramatic change of Egypt's polytheistic religion into one where the sun disc Aten was worshippe…
What are the main features of Art from the Amarna period?
The Amarna Period is characterized by religious and artistic innovation. Learn how to distinguish the main features of art from the reign of Akhenaten from earlier and later Egyptian art. The Amarna Period is known for its religious iconoclasm. The pharaoh Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten to reflect his worship of a sole god, the Aten.
How did Egyptian culture change during the Amarna period?
Though Ancient Egypt was a traditionalist society by nature, Pharaoh Akhenaten dramatically shifted the culture by establishing a new religion and largely shunning the old. This shift in religion also caused a change in artistic expression for much of the Amarna Period.
What is the meaning of Tell el Amarna?
Alternative Title: Tell el-Amarna style. Amarna style, revolutionary style of Egyptian art created by Amenhotep IV, who took the name Akhenaton during his reign (1353–36 bce) in the 18th dynasty. Akhenaton’s alteration of the artistic and religious life of ancient Egypt was drastic, if short-lived.
How were women portrayed in ancient Egyptian art?
Women in ancient Egyptian art were depicted in a youthful and slim manner. Sculpture of his female family members shows them with wrinkled faces and the physical attributes of a woman who has given birth to multiple children. Are you enjoying this article? Thank you!
How is the style of the Amarna period different from more traditional Egyptian art?
Amarna art is the most distinctive in all of Egypt's history and its difference in style is often interpreted as realism. Unlike the images from other dynasties of Egyptian history, works from the Amarna Period depict the royal family with elongated necks and arms and spindly legs.
What were some of the artistic changes that are witnessed in Egyptian art during the Amarna period?
The period saw the use of sunk relief, previously used for large external reliefs, extended to small carvings, and used for most monumental reliefs. Sunk relief appears best in strong sunlight. This was one innovation that had a lasting effect, as raised relief is rare in later periods.
What distinguished the Amarna style from earlier Egyptian art?
What distinguished the Amarna style from earlier Egyptian art? a sense of realism and immediacy.
What art was the Amarna period best known for?
A dedicatory text of the master sculptor Bek described him as “one whom his majesty himself instructed.” The Amarna period also produced a number of sculptures of exquisite refinement, including the painted portrait bust of Nefertiti found in the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose, perhaps the most famous embodiment of ...
How and why does the style of the Amarna period depart from the traditional Egyptian canon?
How and why does the style of the Amarna period depart from the traditional Egyptian canon? The curving forms contradicted the rigid lines of the traditional Egyptian canon just as Akhenaton's new religion contradicted the old.
What is significant about the Amarna period in Egyptian art quizlet?
Most students of ancient Egyptian are aware that the Artwork composed during the Amarna Period under Akhenaten differs markedly from that of other periods in Egyptian history, One of the most visible changes in the art of this period was the manner in which human figures were depicted, specifically their proportions ...
What happened during the Amarna period?
The period saw many innovations in the name and service of religion. Egyptians of the time viewed religion and science as one and the same. Previously, the presence of many gods explained the natural phenomena, but during the Amarna period there was a rise in monotheism.
What distinguished the Amarna style from other New Kingdom art?
What distinguishes the Amarna Style from other New Kingdom art? Some figures have exaggerated proportions that deviate from the traditional canon.
Why does a change in religion bring about a change in art in ancient Egypt?
The belief in life after death was a major force in the development of art and architecture during Egypt's history. Religious festivals affected the forms of architecture and art. The forms of artistic expression were the direct result of the needs of ritual actions and, as such, art reflected ritual and belief.
How did Akhenaten change Egyptian art?
In just under two decades on the throne, Akhenaten imposed new aspects of Egyptian religion, overhauled its royal artistic style, moved Egypt's capital to a previously unoccupied site, implemented a new form of architecture and attempted to obliterate the names and images of some of Egypt's traditional gods.
How was sculpture from the reign of Akhenaten in Egypt different from previous and subsequent sculpture?
How was sculpture from the reign of Akhenaten in Egypt different from previous and subsequent sculpture? It was more naturalistic and informal. The She-Wolf, later adopted by Romans as a symbol of their civilization, was, until recently, thought to have been made by which culture?
What was a characteristic of art during the reign of Akhenaten?
Akhenaten's representations show him with an almost feminine body, with wide hips and breasts. His statues and carved relief depictions showed him with a drooping belly, long spindly arms, and a protruding chin. There is no doubt that this must have been how he looked in real life.
What happened during the Amarna period?
The period saw many innovations in the name and service of religion. Egyptians of the time viewed religion and science as one and the same. Previously, the presence of many gods explained the natural phenomena, but during the Amarna period there was a rise in monotheism.
Why does a change in religion bring about a change in art in ancient Egypt?
The belief in life after death was a major force in the development of art and architecture during Egypt's history. Religious festivals affected the forms of architecture and art. The forms of artistic expression were the direct result of the needs of ritual actions and, as such, art reflected ritual and belief.
How did Akhenaten change Egyptian art?
In just under two decades on the throne, Akhenaten imposed new aspects of Egyptian religion, overhauled its royal artistic style, moved Egypt's capital to a previously unoccupied site, implemented a new form of architecture and attempted to obliterate the names and images of some of Egypt's traditional gods.
What are two common features of Egyptian art as discussed in the beginning of this lesson?
What are two common features of Egyptian art as discussed in the beginning of this Lesson? Contribution to architecture and optimism in art.
What are the features of the Karnak temple?
Colossal sculptures of the king from the dismantled Karnak temples emphasize his bodily peculiarities—elongated facial features, almost feminine breasts, and swelling hips. Sculptures of Nefertiti, his queen, are often executed in the most remarkably…. Akhenaten. Akhenaten, king (1353–36 bce) of ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty, ...
What were the peripheral regions of Akhenaton's court?
The peripheral regions of these compositions were peopled by the common citizens and soldiers of Akhenaton’s court , often captured in informal poses, as well as scenes of the Egyptian riverfront and desert landscape, enlivened by animals and birds of the Nile River valley and its uplands.
Who was Akhenaton's queen?
In such portrayals Akhenaton was placed at ground level, bathed in the sunlight descending from the disk and often accompanied by his queen, Nefertiti, and one or more of their daughters. A new artistic idiom, for both wall relief and sculpture, was devised to represent the human body.
What was Akhenaten's style of art called?
Not only did Akhenaten prompt a new religion, but he brought on a drastic change in art style, referred to as the Amarna Period by art historians. As you can see in the Ka statues of Amenhotep III (Akhenaten’s father, 18th dynasty), Khafre (4th Dynasty), and Hatshepsut (female pharaoh, 18th Dynasty), the three all carry their fists ...
What was Akhenaten's facial features?
During the Amarna Period However, Akhenaten replaced strong and powerful depictions of the pharaoh with androgynous, soft, curvilinear figures with elongated extremities and facial features, protruding lips and puffy eyes, as seen in his Ka statues and in the wall carving of him, Nefertiti, and their three children.
Why is Akhenaten's reign so odd?
A part of why Akhenaten’s reign is so odd is that, directly after his death, Egyptian art and religion reverted back to being the same as it had been for the 3,000+ years before Akhenaten. Hatchepsut, ca. 14791478 BCE-. Khafre, ca. 2575-2465 BCE. Amenhotep III, ca. 1390-1353 BCE.
Why was Nefertiti so controversial?
His reign was very controversial because he drastically changed the art and culture of a nation which had been fairly homogenous since the reign of Narmer, almost 3,000 years prior.
Depictions Of Akhenaten Show Him As He Was
During most of ancient Egyptian history, royal depictions were highly stylized. While one pharaoh’s depiction might vary slightly from the next, they were far from lifelike representations of the king. The proportions and physique followed a long-established canon showing the king as fit and masculine.
Akhenaten Was An Iconoclast
Egyptian kings weren’t religiously innovative. They worshiped the same pantheon of gods for thousands of years, even copying the same scenes and religious themes over and over. No one dared upset the established order.
He Built Temples from Smaller Blocks
Throughout Egyptian history, temples were built from large limestone or sandstone blocks that would have required multiple men and special tools to move.
His Wife and Children Played An Outsized Role in Iconography
Queens and royal children tend to have a subordinate role in Egyptian art, not appearing as frequently as their ruling spouses or fathers. When they do appear at all, artists render them at a much smaller scale.
Scenes in Temples Showed Daily Life
Major temples of the New Kingdom have two major types of decoration. The inner portions of the temple tend to have ritual scenes involving the gods. The outer areas accessible to the public have massive displays and records of the ruling pharaoh’s military conquests.
Private Tombs Scenes No Longer Showed Daily Life
Private tombs of early Dynasty 18 are characterized by an emphasis on scenes of daily life such as agriculture, food production, and crafts.
Because The Amarna Period Was Short, Lots Of Color Remains
We often think about Greek statuary as pearly white or Egyptian temple walls as a uniform tan color. But what not many people know is that ancient art in Egypt and elsewhere usually was painted in riotously garish or bright colors that have faded with time. Egyptian temple walls, royal palaces and statuary were no exception.