The Iconography of Akhenaten and His Family as a Manifestation of a New Visual Identity
KORNAS, Klaudia
The paper is an attempt to re-evaluate the interpretation of the visual identity of Akhenaten and his family. Based on the most representative sources, such as the Cairo relief TR 10.11.26.4 I will argue that the new visual identity of the royal family was created not only with the innovative, but also with traditional elements of the royal iconography, including those used already in the Old Kingdom. The latter are usually overshadowed by the innovations introduced in the art of the Amarna period, which often leads to erroneous conclusions about the ruler’s alleged complete dissociation from the canon used by his predecessors. On the basis of the iconographic research, art-historical analysis and comparative method I will also discuss how the position of the royal family, as well as the relationship between them and the Aten, have changed over time.
Session 4. Crafting Identity and Clusters through Material Culture, Iconography and Texts [info]