The rich visual and material histories of the Islamic peoples encompass many cultures and regions as diverse as Spain, Africa, the Middle East. Central Asia and the Americas. This introductory course selectively explores Islamic art and architecture from the lifetime of The Prophet Muhammad (d. 632) until ca. 1800. This course will feature architectural sites, including major mosques, and the signficance of the manuscripts, especially the Qur’an (Koran). We will also discuss the disinclination towards the representation of figural art (aniconic art) that has fostered the development of superb calligraphy, arabesques and geometric art forms and, at times, has resulted in iconoclasm.
Optional Reading: Islamic Arts by Bloom, J. and Blair, S. Phaidon Press (buy used)
Dr. Barbara Beall is a Professor Emerita and former Chair of the Department of Art, Music and Theater at Assumption College. As a Visiting Professor at Clark University, she taught African as well as Islamic Art and Architecture. She completed her doctorate at Brown University in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture and her publications in Art History include articles, reviews and the book, Understanding the Art Museum.
