Akhenaton, from the temple of Amen-re, and Khafre, from Gizeh, are two sculptures of Egyptian Pharaohs that were sculpted one thousand years apart from each other. The stylistic differences of these two pieces of art reflect the two pharaoh's different views on religion, politics, and daily life.
Khafre was sculpted around 2500 BC during the height of the Old Kingdom. The Pharaoh is shown in a seated position on a throne with a look of deep serenity in his face. The king is sitting rigidly upright with one of his hands on his knew and the other one making a fist on his thigh. He was sculpted out of a block of diorite lending to the sculptures overall rectilinear appearance. Khafre is wearing a headdress as well as a strapped on beard. The lower part of the headdress that rests on Khafres shoulders is heavily detailed with reliefs that show rigid horizontal lines. Akhenaton was sculpted around 1350 BC after the fall of the New Kingdom in the Egyptian era known as the Armana Period. He is shown standing with his arms clasped at his chest. Like Khafre, he is wearing a very large headdress with headdress but less attention is paid to texture. He also is wearing a strapped on beard. The primary difference between these two pieces is the depiction of these two kings. Khafre's face and body are both idealized with the help of bilateral symmetry. His face is perfectly symmetrical on both sides. His stomach is very toned and he has large, sculpted arms and legs. This depiction of his body is what he wanted the artist to sculpt because he was to be equated with godlike power. During the Armana period, sculpture and painting was very different. The canon of design was relaxed during this time period and it is very visible on the statue of Akhenaton. For the first time in Egyptian art, the figure of a pharaoh was not idealized. He has a very curvy, almost androgynous, figure with a bulging stomach and slender weak arms.
