Has no topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Has no topic - Essay Example The Muslims settled on lands that had their own artworks and traditions, as a result, there was a blend between two cultures, original Muslims and Iranian cultures, which came together to form the first piece of artwork by these two communities. Artists who worked in Iranian cultures continued their arts but now worked under Muslim leadership. Islamic art has shown brilliance in its presentation because choice of colors is always great and there is a good combination of form and design thereby creating an immediate response on the viewers. This kind of presentation has made Islamic art too hard to resist and it is clearly becoming one of the finest art works in history (Hillenbrand 33). Islamic artists have succeeded in combining both animal and human figures in their works making them more appealing. Motifs can be seen on decorated surfaces of objects forming part of the artwork or patterns (Fehervari 6). Islamic art evolved through several stages, some of which are discussed below Abbasid Period (750-1258) In this period, concentration of Islamic cultural and political views changed and people engaged in more activities in Iraq. It is during this period that better styles of art emerged and greater techniques came up which later spread all over the Muslim community influencing artworks to a great extent (Arnold 14). Two cities of Samarra and Baghdad all copied this new trend in arts. In Samarra, particularly, great advancements were made in art and painting as surfaces were curved in different ways, a technique later called beveled style. Later in the 10th century, political unity of Abbasid became weak, and it lost control over several sections of Iran and Egypt. An example of art work during this period is shown below: This is a representation of Samarra and shows. The beveled style can be depicted from this piece of work shown by smoothening of its surfaces. The Almohad and Almoravid Periods (1062-1269) As a new Islamic power, Almohad and Almoravid took pa rt of Morocco in North Africa and established its capital at Marrakesh in 1062 (Metropolitan Museum of Art 30). They also took control at other parts of Africa in Algeria and Sahara. They did away with most Islamic arts and established their own in these territories. After establishing their territories, Almoravids later weakened and their part was taken by the Almohads. They schematized ornaments and utilized the use of designed geometry. Some outstanding works by Almohad are shown in the mosque built in Sevilla. An example of this period’s artwork is shown below: This is a fragment displaying an enormous image with gazelles and many other animals around it. It is an expression of the skills possessed by early Muslim artists. Ayyubid period (1171 – 1260) This period had its leadership in Salah al – Din. In his reigns he called an end to Fatimid Caliphate replacing it with Ayyubid. This artwork was majorly concentrated on metal works and used fragment design to decorate its works. They specialized in ceramics and metals in an attempt to decorate the Muslim culture and bring people to understand art work deeper. In addition, they took part in a lot of building activities, building different structures in Egypt and Syria. Their most outstanding work is in Cairo: the fortified citadels. In