Spanning 1550 to 1292 BCE, the 18th Dynasty, known as ancient Egypt’s “golden age,” was marked by great societal and artistic change. Initiating these developments, Egypt’s mighty pharaohs patronized artists, architects, and craftspeople, who in turn produced distinctive portraits, impressive buildings, and art with a recognizable style. This exhibition focuses on three celebrated rulers of the 18th Dynasty: Hatshepsut, Amenhotep III, and Akhenaten. All members of the same family, each was a maverick who understood the power of images and used them effectively to advance their agendas during their long reigns.

One of ancient Egypt’s few female pharaohs, Hatshepsut (reigned about 1473–1458 BCE) founded the 18th-Dynasty artistic style. She built impressive temples furnished with statues and obelisks bearing her likeness as king, yet she received no credit for her achievements. Years after her death, for reasons still not clear, Hatshepsut’s images were smashed and her name was erased from history, only to be rediscovered by modern Egyptologists. Amenhotep III (reigned about 1390–1352 BCE) was one of Egypt’s most successful rulers; sculpture portraits characteristic of his reign have radiant faces suffused with satisfaction and well-being. Akhenaten (reigned about 1352–1336 BCE), son of Amenhotep III, sought to change Egypt’s religion to worship of a single deity, the Aten, represented by the disk of the sun. Artists depicted him and his queen, Nefertiti, with distinctive body proportions: narrow shoulders, slender high waists, faces with long chins, and elongated skulls.

Drawing primarily from the MFA’s extensive collection of ancient Egyptian art, one of the largest and most important in the world, “Maverick Kings” explores the lives and legacies of these dynamic monarchs through their art and own words. Visitors can see major monuments to Hatshepsut, including the only royal sarcophagus from the 18th Dynasty outside of Egypt; large statues of deities in animal form, a style characteristic of Amenhotep III’s reign, such as a nearly six-foot-tall statue of a falcon; and a sculpted portrait of Akhenaten’s son, Tutankhamen (reigned about 1332–1323 BCE), who restored the cults of the old gods. Together these objects reveal how, just as we fashion public personas for our own ends today, these three pharaohs created and used their own images to achieve and retain political power. The exhibition also includes objects on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. It ends with contemporary art by Awol Erizku and others that exemplifies the perennial influence and appeal of ancient Egyptian imagery.

See It with a Ticket

Everyone needs a timed-entry ticket to see the exhibition, including members—reserve yours to guarantee entry. Don’t forget, exhibition tickets include general admission to the Museum!