Evidently, ancient Egyptians always portrayed Egyptians in profile, but Egyptologists have pieced together a frontal portrait of a pharoah. From First Frontal Portrait of Pharaoh Found in Egypt:
Egyptologists have pieced together fragments of the first known ancient portrait of a pharaoh drawn from the front rather than in profile, a Spanish archaeologist said on Thursday.Jose Manuel Galan told Reuters in an interview that the portrait, which appears to show either Tuthmosis III or his mother Hatshepsut, was painted on a wooden board buried in the courtyard in front of a tomb in the southern town of Luxor.
Tuthmosis III or his mother?
Hatshepsut, who was often portrayed as a man, ruled concurrently with her son for about 20 years from 1503 BC. Luxor, also known as Thebes, was the dynastic capital.
I found this fascinating:
The piece is unusual because ancient Egyptians always portrayed Egyptians in profile. The only frontal portraits are of foreigners, underworld demons and other weird creatures, and the dwarf god Bes, widely believed to be a cultural import.
Not all Egyptian portraits were profiles, but ancient Egyptians always portrayed Egyptians in profile. Odd.