Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

The art that developed in the reign of Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten, known as “Amarna art,” has largely been considered revolutionary in the history of ancient Egyptian art. As such, it has been the subject of much debate and has generated numerous theories, often contradictory or controversial, and, in fact, deeply influenced by the history of its modern reception. Nevertheless, the remaining evidence still permits us to investigate Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten’s conception of images and art, as well as the artistic evolution under his reign. From a hermeneutic point of view, Amarna art can be interpreted as a multi-causal phenomenon, involving an internal evolution of 18th Dynasty society and art, pharaoh-centrism, and purely aesthetic factors.