ARTH 320: Art of the Islamic World

ARTH 320-DL1: Art of the Islamic World
(Fall 2020)

Online

Section Information for Fall 2020

This course is an examination of art and architecture of the Islamic world from the beginnings of Islam in the seventh century to our own day. The course focuses on art from the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East, from the Iberian peninsula (modern day Spain) to central Asia (modern-day Afghanistan). We will look at art from Mughal India and the Ottoman Empire, for example, as well as contemporary art loosely characterized as stemming from the Islamic world, and we will discuss monuments like the Dome of the Rock, the Taj Mahal, and the captivating, delicate manuscripts of Safavid Iran, with a special focus on the magnificent works in the Freer-Sackler Museum of DC. Throughout, we will discuss issues such as patronage, cross-cultural exchange, the inheritance of classical culture, gender, and globalism.

 

The goal of this course is to build a basic understanding for the art and culture of the Islamic world and learn a chronology of its history. You will also learn basic terms and vocabulary of art history, and how to discuss and analyze works of art.

ARTH 320-DL1 is a distance education section.

Tags:

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Introduction to Islamic art, from the time of Muhammad to present. Cultural and regional approach, utilizing local museum collections. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Global Understanding
Specialized Designation: Non-Western Culture
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.