Art History Week 9- Islamic Art

Islamic Art

-Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards.

-Its includes all the art of the rich and varied cultures of Islamic societies as well.

-Figurative painting may cover religious scenes, but normally in essentially secular contexts such as the walls of palaces or illuminated books of poetry.

-Islamic art developed from many sources: Roman, Early Christian art, and Byzantine styles were taken over in early Islamic art.

-There are repeating elements in Islamic art, such as the use of geometrical floral or vegetal designs in a repetition known as the arabesque. 

arabesque

-The arabesque in Islamic art is often used to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible and infinite nature of God.

-Typically, though not entirely, Islamic art has focused on the depiction of patterns and Arabic calligraphy.

-There are also many depictions of Muhammad, Islam's chief prophet, in historical Islamic art.

-Small decorative figures of animals and humans, especially if they are hunting the animals.

Islamic calligraphy

-Calligraphic design is omnipresent in Islamic art, where, as in Europe in the Middle Ages, religious exhortations, including Qur'anic verses, may be included in secular objects, especially coins, tiles and metalwork, and most painted miniatures include some script, as do many buildings.

-Inscriptions include verses of poetry

-Inscriptions recording ownership or donation.

-Two of the main scripts involved are the symbolic kufic and naskh scripts.

-Which can be found adorning and enhancing the visual appeal of the walls and domes of buildings, the sides of minbars, and metalwork.

kufic

naskh

minbars

-Islamic calligraphy in the form of painting or sculptures are sometimes referred to as quranic art.

Detail of arabesque decoration at the Alhambra in Spain