AP Art History Discussion Questions 10 PDF

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Gardner's Art through the Ages discussion questions, Patricia Morchel...

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1. Describe the main themes and stylistic qualities within Islamic mosque architecture There are several prominent characteristics of Islamic mosque architecture. To start, the mosques can be found in three styles: hypostyle, four iwan, and central plan. Regardless of which style of floor plan a mosque takes, there are several elements that are always present. The first one is the Qibla wall, which faces the direction of Mecca. In the center of the Qibla wall is the Mihrab, which represents a passageway towards Mecca. These two elements exist because it is custom for Muslims to pray towards the direction of Mecca, hence they help point the direction for the worshippers. Another quality of the mosques is their use of patterns. Various patterns take up the exterior and the interior of the mosques, and they are often abstract representations of plants and nature. Imagery of humans and animals is never present in Mosques as Islam is a monotheic religion and the figures can represent other gods. Aside from that, pointed arches also decorate the interior of Mosques. The most important pointed arch is the Mihrab, which points in the direction of Mecca as mentioned previously. In addition to the Mihrab, pointed arches can also be seen spanning passageways or used as windows. These windows are often covered with a layer of screen that incorporates a pattern, which creates beautiful traces of light on the interior when the sun shines through. Lastly, mosques are commonly painted with gold to create a feeling of luxury and holiness.

2. Please discuss the role of luxury arts within the Islamic world Luxury arts are commonly seen in the form of rugs and illuminated manuscripts. The rugs are intricately hand knotted with elaborate patterns that often exhibit perfect symmetry. These rugs are often a show of wealth and power, as enormous labor is required for one’s completion. Not only are rugs placed on floors, they were also hung on walls as if they were pieces of fine art because of their great value. Moreover, specially made rugs were also used as table cloths. Another form of luxury art is illuminated manuscript. Calligraphy in the Isamic world is seen as the noblest form of art because of its association to the Qur’an, hence explaining the pure luxury of some manuscripts. These scripts are often written in beautiful styles of calligraphy and are accompanied with detailed paintings. In some cases, real gold is used in the manuscripts to create patterns and imagery. The main purpose of the manuscripts is to help spread the religion. Since the text in the manuscripts are all words from the Qur’an, it spread information about Islam to those who can read. Even those who cannot read can still learn about Islam as the pictures also entell stories from the religious texts.

3. How is the art and architecture in the Islamic world different from what we have previously seen in other chapters Islamic art has distinct characteristics that are quite unprecedented in the art world. For one, since Islam is a monotheic religion that only believes in a single god, they prohibit worhsip of any other gods. This led to the ban on depiction of figures and even animals in mosques and holy facilities as they might represent other gods. To decorate the mosques with this constraint in mind, artists took to creating elaborate patterns in place of the figures and animals. These patterns are largely geometric and sometimes take inspiration from the natural world. Aside from using patterns, artists also used text as decoration. Verses from the Qur’an and quotes of the prophet Muhammad can often been seen in script around the interior of the mosque. Specifically, the kufic script is often used as it has sharp points and edges that resemble the rest of the geometric patterns. Aside from differences in decorations, Islamic architecture also made use of different architectural styles. For one, their pointed arches are quite different from the arches preferred by the Romans, which were round at the top. For another, their columns did not resemble any of the Classic Greek orders and instead took on its own form -- being slender and without an apparent capital. Differences also occur in the way Islamic artists treat the domes of structures. Instead of making them perfectly rounded, they sometimes manipulated the internal structure of a dome to make it resemble a star. Other times, intricate systems of arches span the interior of domes, creating elaborate patterns, which adds onto the sense of holiness of the mosques....