Islamic art

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Islamic Art History

Guideline

The 4-part analysis method

The 4-part analysis method that art historians use:

• physical properties
• formal or visual structure (also known simply as form)
• subject matter and symbolism (also known as content or meaning)
• cultural context
•

1-The first part of the four-part analysis considers physical properties.

Questions:

Here are some questions we ask when we examine physical properties:

• What type of artwork is it: painting, sculpture, architecture, textile, woodwork?
• What is the work made of: stone, crushed minerals, inlaid lapis lazuli?
• How is that material visible? Is it smooth and hard or textured and rough?
• How has the material been handled? What technique was used to manipulate the

material?
• How big is the work? How does it compare to the size of a human body? Hint: The

textbook provides scale comparisons for all illustrations.

Evidence:

When we answer those questions, we provide evidence as it appears in the work of art.

2- Form

Form refers to the appearance of the work of art. We also call it the visual structure or style of
the work of art.

Form consists of how the artist uses the materials to create visual expression. This expression
comes through the building blocks of the work of art known as the visual elements (color, line,
light, texture, shape, space) and composition (organization of shapes, balance, and proportion).

The choice of how to handle these building blocks of the work of art–known as formal elements
and principles of design–is sometimes dictated by how all artists of a particular time and place
work. We call this a period or cultural style. In other cases, especially in the modern era, the
choice of formal characteristics is individual and the artist has a personal style.

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What about form in architecture? This refers to the building blocks of floor plan, structural
elements like columns and domes, and the decorative elements that adorn the building.

Artists of a particular period and culture typically share similar forms or style. Knowing the
formal characteristics of this style an essential part of art history.

Questions:

When you analyze form or visual structure, here are some questions to ask.

• Is the work naturalistic? Does it look like things do in nature or does it depart from
visible forms? How?

• How is space presented? Does it create an illusion of three dimensions or is it flatter?
• How is color handled? Do the colors look like they do in nature? Do they repeat

throughout the image?
• How is line handled? Are things outlined? Are there real lines (like a road) or implied

lines (like a line of sight)?
• How are light and shadow handled? Is everything bathed in an even light or are there

dramatic highlights and deep shadows? Does shading help make things look three-
dimensional?

• How is the work organized? Is everything lined up in a row or are they grouped in a
pyramid? How are things arranged in the work?

Evidence

As you answer these questions, provide evidence from the work of art to support your
statements.

3. Subject Matter:

Art has two levels of meaning also known as content or subject. The first is natural subject
matter.

The second is a deeper, symbolic level of meaning based on conventional meanings associated
with symbols. To get at this deeper, symbolic level of meaning in a work of art, we interpret
the iconography.

Iconography refers to the symbols and signs in a work of art that communicate meaning.

To understand these signs, we have to learn about the art of the particular time and about the
conventions for depicting common themes. Analyzing content frequently requires research. You
should not guess based on what you know from other contexts.

Questions:

Here are some questions to ask when you analyze subject/content/iconography:

• What is the natural subject matter?
• What symbols accompany this natural subject matter?

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• What are figures in the work wearing?
• What are figures in the work doing?
• Is there a story being told?
• When and where was this work made (the meaning of symbols varies between

cultures)?

When we perform an analysis of subject and answer these questions, we read the symbols,
interpret them based on the culture, and draw conclusions based on logic and research.

4- Context:

To get to the fullest understanding of a work of art, we have to consider the context in which it
was made and seen.

This means the historical place and moment–Rome in 100CE or Athens in 180BCE–and all of
the ideas of that time and place. These ideas include religion, philosophy, economics, politics,
and social relations.

Context affects style and meaning. Art looks one way in India in 1200CE, a very different way in
England in 1200CE, and a different way in France in 1700CE. The subject matter and
iconography of the art in those places are also very different because the religion, politics,
philosophy, economics, and social relations were different.

Every work of art is a product of its context. To interpret it fully, we have to examine how the
work reflects, responds to, and functions in that context.

Questions

When you analyze a work for its context, here are some questions to ask:

• When was this made? Who was it made for?
• Where was it meant to be seen and by whom?
• What goal did the patron have for this work? What function was it supposed to play?
• How does this work reflect the political or religious situation when it was made?
• What philosophy or ideology does the work promote or challenge?

Evidence

Evidence for context is both visual and based on research. As with subject, analyzing context
will require research on the time and place of the work’s making. Don’t guess based on your own
circumstances.

 

Written Assignment 1: Four-Part Analysis of Islamic Art works

For your first assignment, you will analyze two examples of Islamic art. You have two options to choose your artworks:

1- If you have visited or intend to visit The Keir Collection of Islamic Art Gallery at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA), you can choose your objects from The Keir Collection.

2- If you have not visited or do not intend to visit The Keir Collection of Islamic Art, you can choose your Islamic art objects from the artworks photographed and found in the collection of Islamic art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Below is the link to The Met’s collection of Islamic art. Choose your objects from the Met’s website:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search#!?department=14&showOnly=highlights%7CwithImage&offset=0&pageSize=0&perPage=20&sortBy=Relevance&sortOrder=asc&searchField=All

· For each art object, you select and explain relevant terms relating to the four-part analysis method:

physical properties

(shape, size, medium/materials, techniques)

formal structure

(visual elements and composition),

subject matter

(natural subject and iconography), and cultural

context

.

· For each work, select the relevant terms from each part of the four-part analysis. Copy the term into the box and justify in your own words your choice of the term. For physical properties, formal structure, and subject matter, explain where the term is visible. For cultural context, justify your selection.

· For each, you will identify it, information about Title, Artist/Culture, Date. If you choose objects from the Met’s website, you need to provide the URL to their page on the museum website.

· This is not an essay. You are creating a kind of glossary of relevant terms and providing evidence and justification of your selection.

. 

Instructions:

· Use this Word document to complete your assignment. Save it to your computer or drive now.

· Consult the rubric to understand my expectations.

· Put all writing in your own words. Do not reuse/copy/plagiarize anything or anyone, including yourself. All writing for this class must be your own and original to this semester.

· Include as many relevant terms/concepts as possible.

· Cite any outside resources you consult. Citations should not just be a link; should be in Chicago/MLA/APA format.

· Check spelling and grammar.

· Save the document as a pdf file.

· Upload to TCU ONLINE by the deadline listed in the syllabus. Start early. Late work is not accepted.

Sources of information for your answers:

· Textbook

·

Terms

and Concepts list.

· External resources (museums, online encyclopedias, etc.). You must put this information in your own words and cite your sources.

Here are the terms to choose from (from the Terms/Concepts list plus a few extra):

Part of Analysis	Terms
physical properties	Calligraphy, architecture, miniature painting sculpture, illuminated manuscript, metalwork, painting, ceramics, glass, low relief, high relief, shallow relief, inlay, carve, carving, stone, engrave, incise, carpet, fabric
formal structure	Floral motifs, geometric, vegetal, calligraphic, muqarnas, arabesque, ornamentation, figurative, non-figurative, aniconism, hierarchic scale, colossal scale, composition, registers, ground, background, composite pose, composite view, characteristics, space, depth, three-dimensionality, naturalistic, lifelike, canon of proportions, ideal, idealized, idealization, style, stylized, conventions, representational conventions, traditional representational system, formula, visual language
subject matter	Secular, religious, narrative, storytelling, caliph, ruler, god-king, deity, god, symbol, symbolism, iconography, meaning, subject, attributes, guardian figures, composite creature, sarcophagus, ka, ritual, rite, ceremony, offering, tribute, hieroglyphs, cuneiform, inscription, portrait, likeness.
context	Islamic caliphate, sacred authority, polytheistic, ruler, god-king, deity, god, divine right to rule, social hierarchy, rank, class, city-state, complex, citadel, compound, timelessness, permanence, burial chamber, sarcophagus, tomb, necropolis, patron, commission, ritual, rite, ceremony, ceremonial, offering, tribute, traditions, funerary, cultural context,

Your Name:

1. Islamic Art Object

Title, textbook figure number, date
	Culture
	Select and explain the terms relevant to physical properties of shape, size, medium/materials, and technique visible in this work.
	Select and explain the terms relevant to formal structure visible in this work. Point to specific locations in the work to justify your selections.
	Select and explain the terms relevant to subject matter visible in this work. Point to specific locations to justify your selections.
	Select and explain the terms relevant to cultural context in this work.
	Cite sources consulted.

2. Islamic Art Object

Culture

Select and explain the terms relevant to physical properties of shape, size, medium/materials, and technique visible in this work.

Select and explain the terms relevant to formal structure visible in this work. Point to specific locations in the work to justify your selections.

Select and explain the terms relevant to subject matter visible in this work. Point to specific locations to justify your selections.

Select and explain the terms relevant to cultural context in this work.

Cite sources consulted.

Title, date, and URL Link