Not only informality, but actual caricature tended to mark the art of
Akhetaton. The natural deformities of the king were more than faithfully
reproduced--they were exaggerated. The elongated skull, long thin neck,
pointed chin, obtruding stomach, and abnormally large hips and thighs of
the king may have been emphasized by artists who felt that any
characteristic of a son of Aton deserves special attention.
The way in which people reacted to the king's wishes may be seen in a
child's toy depicted at Akhetaton. A tomb painting "shows a model
chariot drawn by monkeys. In the chariot is another monkey urging along
his steeds (his receding forehead is terribly like the king's), by him a
monkey princess prods the rump of the horse-monkeys which are jibbing
and refusing to budge an inch in spite of a monkey groom who is dragging
at their bridles for dear life."[58] Such caricature would indicate that
the "image" of Pharaoh as a son of Aton has been popularly dispelled,
and with it much of his power over his subjects.