Niujie Mosque is the oldest mosque in Beijing, China (Photo: Smartneddy / CC BY-SA 2.5)
Islamic art and architecture are both distinctive and varied. Sean Roberts, a teaching associate professor of art history at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, provides an overview of the historical and societal contexts in which this tradition developed. The narrative covers 14 centuries and spans from the central Islamic lands across the globe.
MAY 4 Islam and the Arts
The relationship between Islam and the visual arts sits at the core of the rich products of its artisans, builders, and patrons. Roberts introduces both the central tenets of Islam and the most typical art forms generated by its believers. These include lavish textiles, stunning metalwork, and, perhaps most importantly, the art of calligraphy.
May 11 Monumentality and Power
Less than a century after its founding, Islamic civilization produced one of the most recognizable buildings ever constructed: Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock. Roberts explores the long history of monumental building and its expressions of the power of God and patron in mosque and palace. Structures discussed include the congregational mosque at Damascus, the caliphal palace at Samarra, and chief architect Sinan’s minarets and domes in Istanbul.
May 18 The Arts of Beauty and Pleasure
While often associated with devotional and sacred art and architecture, the Islamic lands also fostered an expansive tradition of images, objects, and buildings celebrating beauty and earthly delights. Examples range from the frescoed oasis retreats of Umayyad princes to gorgeously illuminated chronicles of courtly life in Isfahan and Agra.
June 1
Part 1: The Flexibility of Islamic Art
In contrast to artistic traditions rigidly defined by place and time, the arts of Islam span 14 centuries and practically every inhabited corner of the globe. The secret to such longevity and resilience, Roberts says, is the willingness and ability of artists and craftspeople to combine core elements of their arts with elements drawn from local practices, beliefs, and aesthetics. He points to mosques in Beijing, manuscript painting in North Africa, and exquisite woodwork from the Swahili coast.
Part 2: Living Traditions of Islamic Art
Islamic art continues to adapt and change in the contemporary world. Roberts examines moments of encounter with emerging technologies, global media, and the living legacy of 21st-century artists and architects throughout the Muslim world and in the wider diaspora.
4 sessions (no class on May 25)
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