Amarna painting. Tell el Amarna. Southern Palace. XVIII dynasty reign of Akhenaten 1350 1333 BC. Painting on plaster. Height 101 cm width 160 cm.
Paintings

Amarna painting. Tell el-Amarna

A fragment of painting was found in the southern palace of Akhetaton (Tell el-Amarna), one of the residences of the royal family. The subject of the painting – wild marsh ducks in the thickets of papyrus – received here the most vivid and expressive solution. Ducks were a favorite delicacy of the nobility and were among the funeral offerings from the era of the Old Kingdom. On this relief, one can feel the simplicity and touchingness of the image of everyday life, which is emphasized by the somewhat subdued coloring of the composition.

Amarna painting. Tell el Amarna. Southern Palace. XVIII dynasty reign of Akhenaten 1350 1333 BC. Painting on plaster. Height 101 cm width 160 cm.
Amarna painting. Tell el Amarna. Southern Palace. XVIII dynasty reign of Akhenaten 1350 1333 BC. Painting on plaster. Height 101 cm width 160 cm.

The volume and perspective are conveyed by the different scale of objects and the exceptionally finely selected colors of plants and bird plumage. Life in all its manifestations was associated in the Amarna era with the god Aten, depicted as a solar disk with rays ending in the image of human palms, who embodied the forces of nature and the cosmos. This is beautifully reflected in the hymn dedicated to him. The symbolism of sacred plants, which included papyrus, is fully emphasized here. The plot with wild ducks subsequently spread widely outside the royal palaces and also appeared in the homes of the nobility.