Islamic Art
Islamic Art
Islamic Art
ART
Introduction to Islamic
Art
Islam: submission / recitation
(because it recites the message of the
Prophet)
Islamic art is often defined in art books as
being an art whose boundaries are not
geographical but theological.
Islamic art was produced in many different
geographic regions whose diverse cultures
were unified through the religion of Islam.
Religious influence e.g the Islam religion
greatly forbids portrayal of a human forms
as it is believed to be idolatry.
Characteristics of
There is no representation
of human figure, as
Islamic
Art
Geometric Design
A geometric pattern is one that is made up
of regular lines and repeated shapes.
Shapes can be reflected or rotated to
create a pattern.
Islamic artists often have a small
deliberate mistake in their patterns to
show that they are not perfect like Allah.
Patterns and lines are unending which
represents the infinite nature of Allah
The Circle
Is an important
shape in Islamic
religion and Islamic
geometric design.
It symbolizes
wholeness, unity
and perfection.
The Square
The square
symbolizes the
four elements
earth, air, fire and
wind.
The Triangle
The Islamic symbol
of consciousness.
The points
symbolize the
knower, the act of
knowing and the
known.
The Hexagon
Close in shape to
a circle and is
associated with
the perfection of a
circle.
It is the symbol of
heaven
MEDALLION DESIGN
The Medallion style usually has a
central image that is more important
than other elements of the design.
It is usually surrounded by boarders
ART FORMS
1. CALLIGRAPHY
Calligraphy is a major form of art in Islam
especially in there architecture, books and
generally also in decoration.
It uses Arabic script as the focal point of a
design.
In Islamic and Arabic cultures, calligraphy is
a highly respected as the art of writing. It is
unique since its writing is from right to left.
Because Islamic leaders saw in figural arts a
possible implication of idolatry, Islam's early
theocracy looked to the artistry of
calligraphy for religious expression.
Applications of Calligraphy
Calligraphy on the
wall of the Taj
Mahal
Writings from the
Quran
2. ARCHITECTURE
The principal Islamic architectural forms
are: the Mosque, the Tomb, the Palace and
the Fort.
Unique to Islamic architecture are the
minaret (a tower from which the faithful
are called to worship) that surround the
building.
The role of domes in Islamic architecture
has been considerable. Domes have been
used in Islamic architecture for centuries.
3. PAINTINGS
The best-surviving and highest developed
form of painting in the Islamic world is the
miniature in illuminated manuscripts.
Miniatures were especially an art of the
court, and because they were not seen in
public, it has been argued that constraints
on the depiction of the human figure were
much more relaxed, and indeed
miniatures often contain great numbers of
small figures, and from the 16th century
portraits of single ones.
4. RUGS AND
CARPETS
Rugs and Carpets are an important art