Egypt 3 Amarna period

59 Pages·2012·2.98 MB·English

by  Michele Mennucci

Akhenaten

and the art of
The Amarna Period
Amenhotep, (Akhenaten) who came to the
throne of Egypt about 1352 BCE, was one
of the most unconventional rulers of
Ancient Egypt.
Amenhotep IV
• Initiated radical religious change.
• Founded a new religion
demanding belief in a single god:
The life-giving sun disk Aten.
• Changed his name to Akhenaten.
“Blessed spirit of the Aten”
• Initiated a significant change in
artistic styles and subjects.
• Moved capital of Egypt from
Thebes to Amarna
Old versus New Religious Ideas
• Akhenaten's worship of Aten as the sole god of creation was
revolutionary.
• The stela of Wesi shows the worship of the god of the afterlife,
Osiris, one of the many gods to whom Egyptians had prayed
for centuries.
•
• The relief from the Great Palace at Amarna depicts
Akhenaten's worship of Aten, the light within the sun's disk.
See how some elements remained the same, some changed
dramatically.
Painted papyrus
reproduction of the
relief from the
great palace at
Amarna.
Representation of the god
The Worshipers
Offerings and Instruments
Offering table
Family Members
Purpose of the relief
• This carving represents an actual
ceremony, a daily ritual carried out by the
• This funerary monument was probably placed
royal family. The carving ornamented a
either in Wesi’s tomb or in a temple. Most likely,
processional ramp in the Great Palace at
he would have commissioned only one such
image, specifically to provide for their afterlife. Amarna; many such images were carved
for Amarna's buildings.