AH 343 - Islamic Art

Upper Division

This course is an overview of 14 centuries of art and culture, starting as a local monotheistic religion in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th Century before expanding into a global empire in the course of a century. This course will briefly examine the history of religious art in general and, in much more exquisite detail, the history of the art and culture that developed inspired by or in direct response to Islam. In this respect, the course will also challenge some of the Orientalist views of the Islamic world (as Edward Said calls it the imaginary Orient) including the popular characterization of Islamic art as essentially non or anti-figurative by making the rich tradition of miniature painting (of Persia/Iran, and Mughal and Ottoman empires) and other figurative practices in Islamic societies. The course will be organized chronologically and according to the classical periodization of the early Islamic dynasties and the subsequent regional powers all the way to the Ottomans and the Safavids. We will also consider Islamic art as part of modern contemporary world.

Core Curriculum Designation(s)
ACP, ARTS, HUM, HSP - Arts and Humanities Analysis and Practice, GIP - Global Issues and Perspectives

Repeatable
Yes

Fee
$50

Additional Notes
Previous course number: AH 144

Course credits: 4