The artwork in which I’ll be discussing in Figure 1. Mihrab (Prayer Niche). This artwork comes from Iran, Isfahan. The Mihrab is highly ornamented and has geometry designs. Surrounding this prayer niche is white texts and its written in calligraphy. This calligraphy has a border of toroquies lines and inside this thin border is white diamond shapes each one being horizontal or vertical. There is a much different design surrounding each one. As we go future towards the middle there is more calligraphy in black and in the shape of an arch. On top of this is the white outline flower shapes overlaying the light blue outline flower shape and the ground floor being color dark blue creates dimension. In between each flower, an outline is a 6 sided polygon or design connecting other outline flowers. As we observe further down the artwork inside the arch there is a rectangle with border and inside it is a text and written nicely. Around the rectangle is repeated shape the diamond and inside is another design carved in. As these diamonds are connected with each other creating a look as if the diamond is inside a circle. When taking a few steps back it looks as if there are blue butterflies with a light blue design on its wings. As I take a deeper look into this artwork its creates this illusion of shapes moving in place. The colors used in this artwork is turquoise, dark blue, white, warm yellowish brown and black. The medium used to create Mihrab is cut tiles. The artist used the repetition of shapes and color combination.
Mihrab (prayer niche) medium is mosaic of polychrome-glazed cut tile on the stonepaste body. The text on the outer border has the Qur’an states [the Prophet] (on him be blessing and peace): witness that there is no God save Allah and that Muhammad is his Apostle.. In many Islamic artworks have a small section of the Qur’an words. Calligraphy is very important in Islamic art. Calligraphy can enhance the artwork. As I observe Figure one the calligraphy itself makes the artwork stand out. Persian used tile work to cover both inside and outside of religious or other important moments. The modern process of Mosaic tiling requires more timing to produce the work. The artist would use tiles and it will be chipped, then smooth the edges along with polishing it after the process is done they would play it all together to create pattern they desire.
Is Mihrab (prayer niche) considered Islamic art? A few components for creating Islamic art one geometric, calligraphy and vegetal pattern. Many other civilizations have used geometric before it differs from this civilization. Each figure or geometric shape, when seen from the perspective of its symbolic meaning, represents an echo of unity and a reflection of the values and principles within the larger frame beyond that unity (universal unity) (Ardalan and Bakhtiar, 2000) These artist use geometric shapes not because it stylish but because there is meaning to behind it. The artist wanted their work to unify people that these shapes represent unification and that want people should follow rather than solitude. In this artwork, there arent figures of mankind but there’s a spiritual feeling. Muslim artist or designer uses geometric proportions to create beautiful and aligned pattern gives the aesthetic beauty of the combination of space and surface.
Figure 1. Mihrab (Prayer Niche) These artists use mathematical ratios to give them a balanced patterns. There are strict rules and methods used when creating this elegant geometric pattern. The pattern demonstrate infinity and allows the audience to view and to reflect on it. This shows that their god is infinite. Mihrab (Prayer Niche) is considered Islamic art because the usage of geometric proportion, uses the Qur’an and it written in calligraphy.
The second artwork I’ll be talking about is Three Visit to the Thatched Hut of Zhuge Liang. This artwork is from China. Three Visit to the Thatched Hut of Zhuge Liang is drawn in a scroll and the medium used black ink and water. This is a landscape painting. The majority of color is used is black and the gray tones are caused by using more water and less ink. In this landscape painting are a lot of branches of trees and mountains. The branches are very detailed. There are quite few people drawn in this painting. There isn’t much of building or structures made from man painted in this artwork. The things I see that man made are the bridge, outer gate, we can see part of the building. There is also depth in this painting as object become father away its in a lighter tone. Objects in which are closer is more visible and darker with shadows. The way the artist add a bit of gray tone to the sky is fantastic than just leaving it white and empty.
Figure 2: Three visit to the Thatched Hut of Zhuge Liang.
Three Visit to the Thatched Hut of Zhuge Liang is created by an artist named Su Liupeng. This painting was made 17 century. The medium is handscroll; ink and color on paper. Does this artwork belong to its right style? Common things seen in Chinese painting is black ink, calligraphy, and poetry. Chinese painter uses ink and brush made out of animal hair. There are two types of styles in traditional painting Gong bi and Xiao pin. These paintings are very expressive and each stroke on the page has a meaning. Each painting has its own unique strokes in the painting. Water plays an important role in this painting. The amount of water added to the brush will determine how transparent the ink would be. Three Visit to the Thatched Hut of Zhuge Liang has three stamps at the left corner. This artwork previous had three owners. Above the left bottom corner, there are a few texts. This artwork is considered Chinese painting because of the landscape drawing, it uses black ink and each stroke on this painting it different and it isn’t similar.
Bibliography
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Ching Chan, E. Akleman and Jianer Chen, “Two methods for creating chinese painting,” 10th Pacific Conference on Computer Graphics and Applications, 2002. Proceedings., Beijing, China, 2002, pp. 403-412.
Dabbour M. Loai. Geometric proportions: The underlying structure of design process for Islamic geometric patterns. Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V
Delbanco, Dawn. “Chinese Handscrolls.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
Shih Chung- Zen Lin Yu-Ru, Way, Der-Lor. “The Synthesis of Trees in Chinese Landscape Painting Using Silhoutte and Texture Strokes.” Handle Proxy, Universidade Da Coruña, 1 Jan. 1970, hdl.handle.net/11025/6018.
The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/449537.
Whiteman, Stephen H. “Chinese Painting & Calligraphy.” Art Bulletin, vol. 99, no. 2, June 2017, nnnpp. 189–193. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00043079.2017.1304651.
