
Queen Nefertiti
Artist Tuthmosis
Date ca. 1348-1336/35
Movement Egyptian | New Kingdom | 18th Dynasty
Medium Limestone
Dimensions height 19”
Provenance Amarna, Egypt
Housed at Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Ägyptisches Museum
Though this piece was abandoned and left unfinished at the time of Akhenaten’s death, the piece nonetheless represents an exquisite and masterful work. The finely balanced and symmetrical forms of the queen’s bust serve as the foundation for smooth planes and well-defined features. As the artist had done in his treatment of Prince Rahotep and His Wife, Thutmosis has applied a layer of vividly colored paints to the limestone’s surface, allowing the piece to come to life.