Islamic Art And Architecture
Islamic art and architecture points to the
artistic accomplishments in the lands
where Islam was the dominant religion
and from the seventh century on. These
lands were the Middle East, North
Africa, Spain, Anatolia and the Balkans, and
central and northern India. All
the monuments and artistic objects, which may
have been made with different
materials and techniques, have a common artistic
language. Islamic art was an
art created for the setting of every day life. The
most notable religious art
were the mosque and the minaret. These were made with
the purpose of having a
place where people could express their devotion and
learn the principles of
the faith. Islamic painting developed in the form of
book illustration and
illumination. These paintings were made to help explain a
scientific text
and\or to reinforce the pleasure of reading literature or
history. There are
certain techniques that distinguish the decorative arts of
the Islamic arts.
These techniques involve the application of shimmering glazes
and rich colors
in ceramics and glassware. Other techniques include
sophisticated silver
inlays that convert the surfaces of bronze metalworks,
extravagant designed
stucco and wall panels made of carved wood, and textiles
and carpets woven
into millions of different patterns. 2 The oldest figurative
representation
of Islamic arts correspond to mosaics and painted murals. All of
these are
related to architecture since they were used to cover and decorate the
walls
of several constructions. These could have been religious or
anti-religious
places. The mosaics in these buildings are unique in that in them
there are
no representations of animals or humans. These absences are due to
religious
reasons. Only plants, big trees, and combinations of landscapes
and
architectonics, either real or invented, appeared in the mosaics. In
the
eighteenth century the use of the mosaics declined. On the contrary, the
use of
mural paintings had a long life in the Muslim art. It also represents
a
particular detail. This is its exclusive use of civilian characters in
the
buildings. In the Qusayr Amra palace there are remarkably, rich mural
paintings.
Here there are representations of hunting, athletic scenes,
dancers,
construction sites, the zodiac signs, historical characters, poetry,
thoughts,
etc., and a group of people surrounding another person in a throne.
In
conclusion Islamic art and architecture vary in a variety of ways because
of
religious reasons. 3 Islamic art in my opinion is very interesting
and
extraordinary. It is very cult and unique in that it displays many
cultural
diversity and religion. Painters and architects made these
masterpieces showing
scenes of everyday life. It reflect's the artistic
creativity and ingenuity of
these artists. It also reverberates typical
customs of these people. The
painting on the next page is the one that I will
criticize. The first step is
the description where I will tell the name of
the painting, who made it, when it
was made, and where it was made. Later I
will explain the analysis which will
say the elements and principles of art
and how they are used. After that there
will be an explanation of the
interpretation. This will say how the time and
place affected the artist's
painting. Finally I will say the judgement. This
will explain if the artwork
contributes to the history of art. Description This
painting is called "Laila
and Majnun at School". It was made by the
Persian artist Bihzad in 1494.
It was painted in Her t but is know located in
Afghanistan. It shows
faces drawn with a sense of grace. There are many people
working. There is
also a large tree which has some fruits in it. There is 4 also
what appears
to be two openings to go out or into a building. Analysis The
elements used
in this painting are line, shape, value, color, and texture. You
can see that
lines are used in the edges of the wall, the small fence
surrounding the
tree, and in the borders of the painting. Squared and
rectangular shapes may
be seen in the fence and the openings in the wall. Value
is used because
although the painting seems very yellowish the tree has a
totally different
color because it is gray. There is also a large variety of
colors in the
clothes of the people. Texture is used in the wall of the
painting. The
principles used were proportion and emphasis. You can see that
the
proportions of the people are right in size compared to the walls. The
emphasis
is made on the tree which is bigger than everything else and is a
bit different
in color. Interpretation At this time the people painted the
characteristics of
daily life. In this particular painting there is a
reflection of a normal
everyday life of people with the Islam culture. It
shows the influence of
Chinese landscapes in the flat 5 layered
perspective of the painting. The gold
colored background is unusual though,
for a painting of the 16th century. So the
time and place did affect the
painting.Judgement In my opinion I think that this
work of art does
contribute to the history of art. This is because it reflects
the typical
customs of the past every day life. This makes it easier to
understand the
facts of that past time. 6 "Laila and Majnun at
School", by Bihzad in
1494. 7 Masjid-I Shah in E fah n, Iran "Dome of
The Rock" in Jerusalem 8
"Taj Mahal" in India. Ardab l Turkish
Carpet Mug made for (16th the tomb-
Century) mosque of Shash Tahmasp at Ardab l,
Iran 9 Suleimanniye Mosque
at Istanbul in 1550.
Bibliography
"Islamic Art and Architecture".
Encarta Interactive. ©1998, CD-Rom
"Arte Islámico". Las Claves Del Arte
Islámico. Alfredo J. Morales,
Editorial Planeta (1991 ed.) Barcelona,
España