Akhenaten

Discuss how the sculpture of Menkaura suggests the authority and divinity of the pharaoh. Compare that image with the colossal figure of Akhenaten. Explain the religious reasons behind Akhenaten deviating from artistic conventions to convey that he is not divine. Sketch the relief sculpture (p.71) and discuss the ways it breaks from Egyptian conventions.

   The sculpture of Menkaura suggest the authority and divinity of the pharaoh because the sculpture was thought to be covered in precious jewels that would include the cobra that was to wrap around his head and the rest of the official pharaoh garments. This is thought to be true because the pharaoh is in his under garments and no pharaoh would allow a display of his undergarments and appear weak or common to his subjects. And so with the special clothes and precious jewels adorning the statue of Menkaura this would depict him as having authority and divinity in his own temple.
   The statue of Menkaura is different than the colossal figure of Akhenaten in several ways. One way is that the statue is carved with Akhenaten clothed styling the official crook and flail with him. Another difference and probably the most significant difference between these two statues is that Akhenaten has more of an elongated style while Menkaura is depicted more natural looking. This is because Akhenaten changed the style of Egyptian art when he became the pharaoh and even changed the religious structure by proclaiming a monotheistic religion. Well this particular style and religion were only in existence during this time period and then it went back to old ways.

  This is my rendition of Akhenaten and his Family. Some ways in which this artwork does not fit the conventional artwork of the rest of the entire span of ancient Egyptian art is the elongated naturalistic bodies. At first it seems as if the couple and their child have a disorder of something but it is just the way that they are depicted. Usually the art consist of blocky,lifeless figures but here the figures seem to be more real, full of life, and human. Furthermore, one other difference would be that the picture itself. Most of the time and actually all of the other times the figures are displayed during an activity that for example would consist of participating in a religious ritual. Never before has there been a depiction of the pharaohs and their family showing affection and doing something that makes them look like a normal common couple. Also another thing would be that the sun looking thing and the top center is actually the one god that he claims. This differentiates because all of the other pharaohs had multiple gods.