A look into Islamic art

Recently during my wandering on the Internet I found an article about the Islamic artist Mir Musavvir.

Musavvir (1510-1555) was Persian painter at the Safavid and Mughal courts who painted what Europeans might call illuminated manuscripts of scenes from the Islamic literature.

Musavvir's paintings remind me of European medieval art, which I love, and with his bright colours, more modern expressive art. I was reminded that there have been many Islamic Old Masters, whose skill often goes unacknowledged in many 'history of art' textbooks.

Contrary to what some people think painting is allowed in Islam. There are some restrictions - detailed pictures of animals are not allowed, nor anything which might offend Islam itself, nor caricatures or images of the prophet Mohammed nor anything which might encourage idolatry.

I began to research Islamic art but found that there was less information available than for Western Art and its well-documented development. This is because Islam itself spread over such a wide area encompassing what is now India, Turkey, the Middle East and for a while southern Spain. Between such disparate lands, art styles and techniques spread less quickly than in the relatively homogenous lands of Europe.

Nevertheless is is possible to write about the steady development of Islamic art.

Early Period

Rashidun Caliphate (632-661)

During the era of this caliphate (632 - 661) the earliest Islamic art was made. Because the early Arab Muslims were mostly nomadic, making large works of art was impracticable. Art which was made was not directly derived from the Islamic holy books the Koran and the Hadith, unlike Christian art which was derived from Biblical stories.

The very first Islamic art was to decorate architecture in building the first mosques, early coins and finally calligraphy which was used to reproduce the prophet Mohammed's words. Calligraphy in the Arabic language became very important and still is, as this was the original language of Mohammed and the first language in which his revelations were written. Early Islamic art was also influenced by the already existing styles of the Byzantine and Iranian civilisations which ruled over the lands in which Islam began to spread.

Umayyad caliphate (661-750)

The Abbasid period (712-1258)

Fatimid Art (909-1171)

Middle Period (1000-1500 approx)

As Islam became established there arose a large mosaic of similar but differing cultures, as happened in European Christendom.

Almoravid Period (1056-1147)

Morocco and Spain

See Encyclopedia Britannica

Almohad (1130-1269) Period

Morocco and Spain

Alhambra

See Encyclopedia Britannica

Mamluk period

Il-Khanid and Timurid periods

Iran

Mir Musavvir (1510-1555)

Taj Mahal (1653)

This world famous building is one of the greatest achievements of Islamic art and architecture. Completed in 1653 for the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, this amazing building was a homage to his late wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Inside the building are many carvings and tiled images of natural features such as flowers and plants.