THE QUEEN’S
MANY FACES
Nefertiti’s reign began when she
was a teenage girl and is believed
to have lasted into middle age.
With their skill and craftsmanship,
royal artists were able to capture her
likeness during very different stages
of her life as she passed through
adolescence to womanhood.1 Nefertiti’s subtle smile is highlighted with red
pigment in this bust, which probably depicts the
young royal as a teenager. Egyptian Museum and
Papyrus Collection, Neues Museum, Berlin3 Perhaps the most famous portrait in the world,
this bust of Nefertiti was found in 1912 by German
archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt. Egyptian Museum
and Papyrus Collection, Neues Museum, Berlin2 In this unfinished bust of the queen, Nefertiti’s
features are softly rendered, but dark pigments
have been used to emphasize her brows and eyes.
Egyptian Museum, Cairo4 The elongated features of an unfinished bust of
Nefertiti align closely to the Amarna style associated
with her husband, Akhenaten. Egyptian Museum and
Papyrus Collection, Neues Museum, Berlin5 Damage to the nose mars the appearance of an
exquisitely rendered quartzite head from Memphis
that is believed to represent Nefertiti. Egyptian
Museum, CairoPHOTOS: 1. & 4. BPK/SCALA, FLORENCE. 2 & 5. SCALA, FLORENCE. 3. KENNETH GARRETT^22
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