He was often referred to as the “Heretic King.” The Pharaoh Akhenaten was very likely the first ruler of any culture to to institute a religion based on monotheism. During his co-regency with his father Amenhotep III, he maintained the cultic rituals and polytheist practices of the Egyptian faith. It was only after his marriage to his Queen Nefertiti that his views towards religion changed and he began to worship the sun disk guide Aten to the exclusion of the Egyptian pantheon. It was then that he renounced his ruling name, Amenhotep, taking the name Akhenaten which translates to “He Who Serves Aten.” Nefertiti also changed her name to Nefer-Nefru-Aten , or “Beautiful is the Beauty of Aten.”
the ruling in Egyptian priesthood were furious with the pharaoh’s heresy, so Akhenaton distanced himself by setting up a new court in what is now the modern city of Amarna. The king’s power could not be questioned although his monotheistic philosophy was questioned by many. This did not stop the people from following Akhenaten and nearly 20,000 made their home in Akhenaten el-Armana, a tremendous urban city filled with brilliant art and architecture.
Akhenaten’s celebration of the Sun God Aten, also brought about changes in Egyptian art. For the first time, Egyptian artists were compelled to create art based on the celebration of life rather than death. Stelae – these stone tablet wall reliefs were common forms of art in ancient Egypt. They were decorated with paintings and text and often intended to commemorate an historic event. They were designed both for artistic and religious purposes.
Little of the Pharaoh’s 17-year reign remains. the Egyptian priesthood sought to eliminate any evidence of the ‘heretic Pharaohs’ legacy of monotheism. Very few artifacts from the. Of his reign remains intact. An Egyptian wall relief depicting a playful, quiet moment of this royal Egyptian family is housed in the Altes Museum in Berlin. The artifact is significant because it demonstrates a shift in artistic style from traditional ‘staged’ poses to a more naturalistic scence.
hieroglyphics within the wall relief suggest that the change in style was at Akhenaton’s direction. He is seen kissing one of his daughters. Queen sits across from the Pharaoh, a second daughter plays with her earring. However, not all elements of Egyptian art are completely abandoned. The children are depicted as much smaller than the King and Queen even though they were full grown at the time. This is symbolic of their lesser social position relative to the Pharaoh and his Queen.
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