Thutmose And Nefertiti

The pieces that I will be analyzing are the Head of an Akkadian Ruler, 2250-2200 BCE and Thutmose’s Nefertiti, 1353-1535 BCE. I personally think that these two pieces represent an eerie naturalism, which also makes them different based on their facial features, abstract patterning, and the masculinity and femininity. The piece that I am analyzing is the Head of an Akkadian Ruler that was created between the times 2250-2200 BCE, found in the ancient Mesopotamian city Nineveh, which is located in modern day Iraq. The head is what survives today of a life size hollow-cast sculpture, because it was destroyed in antiquity. It is said that a group known as the Medes, that “occupied the land south of the Caspian Sea sacked the city in 612

Nefertiti whose name means “the beautiful one has come,” was Akhenaton’s wife. Akhenaton was an Egyptian pharaoh who gave up the worship of many of the Egyptian gods to worship Aton with the sun disk. Akhenaton declared Aton to be “the universal god.” [Gardner, 75] He angered the priests, empties the temples, and moved the capital down the Nile River from Thebes to Akhetaton which is present day Amarna. In many art from the eighteenth dynasty Nefertiti was shown with her husband Akhenaton; where she is made equal to Akhenaton and sometimes wearing pharaonic headgear. Nefertiti was an influential women. Thutmose’s Nefertiti is wearing her blue crown, which has some damage, along with her ears and there is more damage throughout the sculpture. Her eyes are lined with the traditional Egyptian black kohl look. Her eyebrows which look to me to be thick dark brown eyebrows that frame the face, giving her features more character. She also has high cheekbones which are considered a mark of true beauty. Her long feminine nose and delicate lips. Her neck is almost “serpentine”[Gardner, 76] like, goes to her shoulders and to her traditional collar/necklace which is adorned with stones and gold. Nefertiti’s

The Akkadian rulers’ right eye has been gouged out and Nefertiti is missing a crystal in right eye. The Akkadian ruler and Nefertiti when the light casts extremely life like shadows which makes both sculptures look more defined and naturalistic. It gives them both an eerie look as they are looking right at you. Where the Akkadian ruler has more of a masculine and proud face which looks as if the ruler embodies power and strength; Nefertiti has a softer, delicate, and feminine facial features. However, she also looks to be strong due to her long neck and blue crown. Nefertiti adorned with colour, line and smoothness of facial features making her beauty iconic. The copper carving, antiquity, naturalism, and abstract patterning gave the Akkadian ruler a look of defiance and strength looking like a great