Islamic Art

 

  1. The Louvre, France This takes you to the department's introductory page. Click on "Selected Artworks" to see their treasures.

  2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Here are the fifty highlights of the Met's Islamic Collection. This is a great start; make sure to check out other web sites.

  3. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art This web gallery contains many clear, colorful images of Islamic art. There is also good background information that is a general introduction to Islamic art. It is easy to see the artists' mastery of geometric pattern.

  4. The Islamic Collection This web gallery has a map showing the countries where Islamic art was created from the 7th throught the 19th centuries, from Spain to India. Click on a country on the map and it will take you to 6 to 15 interesting examples of Islamic artwork from that country.

  5. The Hermitage Museum, Russia There web gallery si devoted to Islamic art within the extensive Hermitage Collection. The section has five sub-sectioins with a total of nine images that you will enjoy. Just click on Egypt, Iran or any of the other five cultures.

  6. Islam: Introduction is a good resource that explains this faith of millions of people world-wide. You can learn about the beginnings of the Islamic faith 1,400 years ago, major beliefs and sites important to Muslims today.

  7. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a wonderful feature, the Timeline of Art History. There are hundreds of beautifully illustrated articles on special topics organized chronologically, or from the oldest to the newest, as art developed around the world. Here are topics and artworks of interest for Islamic Art.

    • The Umayyad Period In the 8th century AD the Muslims conquered the lands that we now call Spain and their art blended Christian and Islamic traditions.
    • The Art of Nishapur Nishapur was one of the great cultural centers of Medieval Iran (9th - 12th centuries), and an important city along the Silk Road.
    • The Art of the Nasrid During the 13th - 15th centuries, Grandad, Spain was the cultural center of the Muslim West.
    • The Art of the Ayyubid Ayyubid artists (1171-1260) are especially known for their inlaid metalworks and luster-ware ceramics.
    • The Art of the Safavids Royal patrons commissioned magnificent book illustrations and textiles and carpets of luxurious materials.
    • The Ottomans befor 1600 Great palaces, mosques and decorative arts combined Byzantine and Persian influences.
    • Iran 1600-1800 Trade with Europe, rich urban merchants and influences from China and Turkey pushed artistic achievements.
    • The Ottoman Empire 1600-1800 Imperial workshopes created elegant carpets, tiles, metalwork and textiles to decorate the mosques and palaces of the emperor.

  8. Islam Empire of Faith is the web site that compliments the PBS documentary of the same name. There are four major sections: Faith, Culture, Innovations and Profiles. There is also a timeline and list of educational resources. The information is concise with clear illustrations.

 
Previous Back to Discover Western Art Next