Ava Bryant
G Block History
Art is something that can connect and inspire people in many different ways. Humans have been making art since the beginning of human life on Earth. Two cultures that are particularly well-known for making art are the Byzantine Empire and Islam. Both of the two are similar and completely different in many ways. Islamic art focuses attention on calligraphy, pottery, and beautiful floral patterns, while art in the Byzantine Empire focuses on heavenly paintings and mosaics, often rightfully placed in churches. Both of these kinds of art were created in different ways with different techniques, materials, and forms, but are similar in more ways than you would think.
Art in the Byzantine Empire was made very differently in different time periods. The first major time period for art in the Byzantine was Early Byzantine, from c. 330-750 AD (Hurst, Ellen). During this time period, many churches such as the Hagia Sophia were being built, resulting in an abundance of mosaics. These mosaics were often decorated with icons or figures that were set in a background that closely resembles the likeness of heaven. Mosaics in churches often “sought to evoke the heavenly realm” and served as spiritual gateways (Hurst, Ellen). Middle Byzantine, from c. 850-1204 came after a tragic period of time called the Iconoclastic Controversy. During this time the use of religious figures in art was harshly debated, resulting in the burning and defacing of thousands of pieces of art. The people that destroyed these pieces of art were called Iconoclasts. The Iconoclastic Controversy was one of many factors that caused the split of the Catholic Europe and Orthodox Byzantium churches (MacGillivray Nicol, Donald). The thematic elements of Early Byzantine continued into Middle Byzantine, including mosaics and the use of icons in art. The use of architecture in Byzantine swelled during this time period as churches were still being built. Middle Byzantine was also a period of wealth for many citizens, resulting in luxurious art being created with expensive items such as ivory. The Late Byzantine Empire was the time period when Byzantine suffered the Latin Occupation. Despite this, art continued to flourish and spread throughout the rest of the empire. Painting became very popular at this time. Artists made paintings of God, daily activities, and many other artistic notions. Christianity was highlighted in the art because religion was very important in the Byzantine Empire. Art in the Byzantine Empire influenced the art that would be made in many other regions and religions in the future.
Islamic art features elements from many civilizations, countries, and religions. Art was very important to the people of Islam, and it was made in several forms. This art ranges from pottery to music to poetry. Islamic art was influenced by religions such as Christianity and countries like Greece, Egypt, India, and China. Arab influence took over Islamic art for a long period of time, showing new concepts in art like geometry and symmetry. These ideas became popular in art because the Arabs were fascinated with mathematics and astronomy. Islamic art was also influenced by the Turkish people. The Turkish introduced a concept of abstract art. Floral patterns and calligraphy were both often present in multiple types of Islamic art, such as pottery and paintings. Floral patterns were inspired by local and international styles of art. Calligraphy is another example of one of the most common techniques used in Islamic art. Words such as Allah or Muhammad would often be repeated to cover the entire surface of a piece of art using calligraphy. The two kinds of script used in calligraphy are Kufic, which is angular writing and Naskhi, a kind of writing similar to cursive (Arabic Calligraphy). Kufic is believed to be the earliest form of Islamic calligraphy. Similar to iconoclasts in the Byzantine Empire, many Muslims looked down on artists that would paint or draw Allah or Muhammad because this was seen as offensive to the religion. Overall, Islamic art showcases beautiful patterns and techniques that are seen as some of the finest art made today.
Both of these civilizations created art that was very different, but similar in some ways. It is difficult to compare the art made by these two cultures because they are so different. One obvious similarity between the two civilizations is that they both faced controversy over icons in art. The main difference between the two in this example is that in Islamic culture, it is widely believed that it is offensive to depict icons in art, but this was considered very normal in the Byzantine Empire. Another similarity between the art in these two cultures is that changed and evolved in abundance over time. Both of these civilizations and cultures created art that is often imitated today, and will always be remembered as some of the most alluring and appealing art to ever be made.
The Byzantine Empire and Islam both created beautiful art that influenced the way artists make art today. The art created by these two cultures were somewhat alike, but very different at the same time. Art was seen as a very important thing in both the Byzantine Empire and Islam. Beautiful Islamic pottery was created by Muslims, and amazing mosaics were created by Christians in the Byzantine Empire that still remain in churches today. The art created by these two groups is significant because it is still recognized and imitated by artists all over the world today.
Works Cited
"Arabic Calligraphy." Discover Islamic Art, www.discoverislamicart.org/
exhibitions/ISL/arabic_calligraphy/exhibition.php?theme=3. Accessed 10 Dec.
2016.
“Byzantine Empire." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web.
12 Dec. 2016.
Hurst, Ellen. "A Beginner's Guide to Byzantine Empire Art." Khan Academy,
www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/byzantine1/
beginners-guide-byzantine/a/byzantine-artintro. Accessed 10 Dec. 2016.
"Islamic Art." Visual Arts, www.visual-arts-cork.com/islamic-art.htm. Accessed
10 Dec. 2016.
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ReplyDelete1- I liked how detailed the types of art like mosaics were. The support for events like in Constantinople with the burning of thousands of pieces of art helped me understand how different the two empires art wise were.
2- I learned that there were two sub groups of calligraphy in Kufic and Naskhi.
3- I would of liked to learn more about where these specifics art types were located in each empire
I like that you made everything very detailed and explained very well. I learned that art in Byzantine was made with ivory. I think that you covered everything really well but maybe more about what was similar about them but i think its very good.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you highlight each society's art in the ways they are similar and different. I learned that Islamic are actually has elements from other civilizations. I would like to know more about the musical element of art in the civilizations.
ReplyDeleteAnnalee Hash
ReplyDelete1. I loved how you not only talked about the style art they used but you incorporated how Islam and Byzantine beliefs had impact on the art.
2. I learned that a lot of the Byzantine art was destroyed.
3. I would like to learn more about the destroyed art and see if people have been able to find ruins of it.
I really liked the amount of detail you went into describing how art changed over the years, and how you compared art in Byzantine to art in Islam. I did not know that Islamic art was influenced by other religions and countries. Your paper is really good and educational. I wish you went into further detail about the musical aspect of art.
ReplyDelete