In the whole Egyptian tradition of artistic representation of the

period of the pharaohs, the only deviation from the established

forms occurred during the rule of Amenhotep IV or Akhenaten, the
revolutionary king of the 18th dynasty, who in the 14th century BC
together with his wife Nefertiti, fathered the first ever monotheistic
religion.
In agreement with the new concepts of Atanism, artists and
sculptors began focusing more on the joy and beauty of nature.
There are some records suggesting that during the rule of
Amenhotep III (Akhenatens father) attempts were made to steer art
in the empire in a more naturalistic direction, but it was only after
the court was moved from Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten
(today known as Amarna) that the new artistic concept was fully
developed. The idea behind Amarna art is to express the joy of all
living creatures from being endowed with Atens rays. Amarna art is
rooted in the idea of the one god, who created everything- men,
beasts, plants, birds, fish- and who ensures their survival, by
appearing on the horizon every day and bringing light and life to the
farthest corners of the world.
In funeral sculptures and reliefs we see an unprecedented
emphasis on the relation between the one god, Aten and the royal
family. People were depicted in their tombs as worshiping the king
and praying to him to take their souls to the afterlife. This is in line
with the new idea about the king as the sole link between the rest of
the world and Aten- Akhenaten as High Priest and Nefertiti as High
Priestess, together, they were the embodiment of the one god. For
the first time art is so effectively employed as propaganda for a new
religious order.
Members of the royal family were depicted in natural poses, such
as instances of courtship and respite. This in itself was
groundbreaking, but what shocks even more is the way Akhenaten
was usually painted and sculpted. His peculiar physique was
accentuated by the artists and sculptors. He is often depicted as
having a long, narrow face and slanting eyes. His head is
elongated, he has an extraordinarily thin neck, large, rounded hips
and breasts.
This type of representation of Akhenaten developed over time- at
first the standard, stylised expression was in place; but gradually
the artists started hyperbolising the deformed features of the king.
Eventually this stylistic became the standard depiction of the royal
family and even members of the high nobility. It is impossible to
know, without first uncovering the body of Akhenaten, if he suffered
from some sort of disease like the Frohlich syndrome, or if this
representation of the king just underlined his role as divine vicar on
earth. The mummies of some of Akhenatens relatives refute such
an assumption. On the other hand we know that the only other deity
worshiped by the new religion was Maat, the goddess of truth, and
that Akhenaten called himself dweller in truth. If we take this
literally, could it be inferred that he insisted on an accurate depiction
of himself? We will know only when Akhenatens remains are
uncovered, which may never happen, considering the ferocious
resistance to his legacy that ensued after his death.