Fragmentary relief showing two pairs of horses harnessed to a chariot (now lost), part of a royal procession scene

The most radical religious revolution in Pharaonic history took place under king Amenhotep IV, who created a new theology. He incorporated the traditional solar theology into a monotheistic concept that focused on the sun disk, the "Aten," which was elevated to the position of sole god. The king changed his name to Akhenaten, meaning "effective for Aten", and the court was moved to a new capital built on a previously unsettled site (present-day Tell el-Amarna). The art associated with his reign displays a new style, which reflects the king's philosophy and emphasizes the sun's daily recreation of the world. The focus is on the present and on visible reality, and the dominant themes are daily life at court and the performance of cult by the royal family.

Credit: Gift of Norbert Schimmel, New York, to American Friends of the Israel Museum