This course examines the visual culture of the Islamic world from the advent of Islam in 622 C.E. until the 17th century. It will stress, however, the early years when artists and architects develop the main forms of Islamic art. We will investigate how the Islamic faith gave rise to a distinct repertory of motifs, a unique architecture, and a singular style in the first decades of its existence and how these features were modified with the passage of time. While this course is intended to be a general survey, certain significant monuments, such as the Great Mosque of Córdoba, and themes, for example the Islamic city, will be explored at greater depth.
Depictions of the Zodiac in Islamic Art
A Flight Through Islamic Culture
Multicultural Representation in Islamic Art
Seeing Through the Infinity: Muqarnas in the Islamic World
Influence of Chinese Blue & White Porcelain on Islamic Ceramics
Living by the Stars: Astronomy and Astrology in Islamic Art
Directed Opulence: Mihrabs and Their Importance to the Islamic Faith
Behind the Veil: Islam as a Political Identity in the Works of Contemporary Women Artists
Discrepancies in the Classification of the Rayy and Kashan Styles
Plants in Islamic Art
Islamic Ivories