3/26/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we looked at the art and architecture of Islam, from the 7th century through the Ottoman Empire. Most of the time was spent looking at mosques and palaces, but we also saw examples of calligraphy and functional objects. For cultural and religious reasons there aren't many representations of figures, but instead a tradition of elaborate non-figural ornament, both geometric and organic, becomes the dominant form of visual expression. The wide spread growth of the Islamic religion through Asia, Europe, and Africa helped absorb and transmit artistic influences around all those parts of the world.

Important terms- aniconic, arabesque, calligraphy, iwan, madrasa, mihrab, minbar, mosque, joggled voussoirs, rosette, quatrefoil

Important artworks- Dome of the Rock, The Great Mosque of Kairouan (Tunisia), Great Mosque of Cordoba (Spain), Arabic Manuscript pages (p. 293), Medallion Rug, Qur'an Frontispiece, Caliph Harun Al-Rashid (p. 305)

Homework- The next current events journal article is due the Tuesday we get back from break.

It is recommended that you read chapter 14 (Early Medieval Art in Europe) in Book 2 to familiarize yourself with the material.

For next class 4/6/10- Bring Book 2 (Medieval Art) and a notebook. We will begin our study of early Medieval art in Europe.