Pharaohs of the Sun Akhenaten Nefertiti Tutankhamen /anglais

by FREED RITA E, Sue H. D'Auria

Hundreds of beautiful artworks from the time of Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Tutankhamen illustrate the splendour of Egypt in this examination of Egyptian art and culture at the time of the city of Amarna. During the 14th century BC, Armana was founded by Akhenaten to promote his new religion and for 12 years was the capital of the world's greatest empire. However, after Akhenaten's death, Tutankhamen abandoned the city, demolishing all traces of his predecessor. In this catalogue of the millennium exhibition of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the world of Ancient Egypt comes to life through more than 250 illustrations. Essays by leading Egyptologists describe the Amarna Period, a time of unprecedented changes in art and architecture, technology, in women's roles in religion and government - and the dramatic change with polytheism in favour of monotheism. The images include sculpture, architectural elements, ceramics, jewellery, clothing, tools and furniture from collections worldwide.

Genres: Egypt, History, Egyptology, Nonfiction, Art

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[SnowGator · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the information/theories in the essays are probably out-of-date by now because of new discoveries, but the massive amount of photos make this book well worth it.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celebrating an Amarna-centric exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Pharaohs of the Sun is a fabulous addition to the bookshelves of anyone interested in the Amarna period, or just Ancient Egypt. The presentation of the book is, in a word, gorgeous. The essays are accessible, informative and just plain interesting.

The exhibition is one I would have loved to have seen, if it had ever made it out to Australia. Even without the added benefit of having seen these items in real life, it is an incredibly valuable resource on the Amarna period. The book is a near-complete visual catalogue of the Amarna, as much as possible, and includes colour images of everyday items (including a toilet seat!) next to the reliefs and statuary. While I didn't find the essays particularly groundbreaking, I did learn things that I was previously unaware of, and the essays are a useful introduction to the subject.

If I was to quibble, my main complaint would revolve some of the photographs used. After reading a detailed description of the statue of Horemheb as a scribe, I wanted to be able to see the face for myself, but the photo used wouldn't allow anyone to see the face in that kind of detail. The photograph of Nefertiti's infamous bust is also one of the more unflattering photos of it.

Needless to say, these complaints are very petty, and this book is absolutely gorgeous and a very welcome addition to my Egyptology shelf.

[Megaera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous and informative.