Akhenaten shook the iron bars of the Egyptian style. He was the king in the period of "The New Kingdom" which was founded after the invasion of Egypt. He forced his religion reforms on his people. He considered and worshipped only one God "Aten"
Styles of art belonging to this period was different from other Egyptian art. His portrait, for exemple, show him as an ugly man, in a naturalistic way. Gombrich argues that he wanted the artists to portray him in all his human frailty or, perhaps, he was so convinced of his unique importance as a prophet that he insisted on a true likeness.
It was also a very important figure for scholars such as Freud for his book Moses and Monotheism.


Akhenaten here, with his wife Nefertiti and his children. It is also a question whether Nefertiti's beauty is idealism or portraiture. For the only time in the Egyptian royal art, Akhenaten's family are portrayed in naturalistic activities while they were showing affections to each other. This must have shocked the Egyptians of his day by their novelty says Gombrich.