Akhenaten analysis of the wall relief depicting the religion of Ankh
Glory and misery represent the beginning and end of the reign of Amenophis IV, who named himself as Akhenaten, “one who is effective for Aten. ... Akhenaten brought an abrupt change of religion to Egypt. ... Accompanying the change in religion, he moved the capital of Egypt from Thebes and Memphis to Akhenaten (Horizon of Aten), known today as Amarna. ... More than 250 pieces of sculpture, relief, ceramics, jewelry, and objects from daily life have been dated to this period and they demonstrate a radical change from the traditional idealized Egyptian figures and representations. One of the most remarkable works of this period is the wall relief that depicts the King Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti making an offering to Aten. The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology has a relief that shows a similar ritual. The techniques used for this relief as well as the context in which the art was produced and the meanings of the relief are discussed in this paper.