Art Appreciation
Written Assignment #2
Ms. Muzna Alquaiti
Sundus Nagadi
For my written art critique, I was asked to choose a work of art that I liked and discuss what I think about it as well as critique it based on what I have learned throughout this course so far.
I looked at various works of Islamic Art, and I realized that I preferred the ones with Mosques; therefore, I chose to critique one. I had quite a variety to choose from, but Shekh Lutfallah’s Mosque was the one that caught my eye- specifically for its dome.
We notice that in the Islamic art, they sometime took influences from other eras, modified them, and incorporated them into their own art; they adopted and adapted. In our case, domes have been subject to their adoption and adaptation as well. The Byzantines and Christians were the influence for Islamic artists in regards to the domes. Even from afar, you can tell that there is so much intricacy and detail in the dome. There are three clear registers. The first one from the top has beautiful designs, which to me look like a combination of abstract and floral. The second register has beautiful calligraphy, which I presume is phrases from the holy Quran. Calligraphy is also present in the third register in addition to a window-shaped arabesque motif that also reminds me of Islamic portals. Various designs are incorporated within the motif as well. There have been several shades of blue used in this dome. Even though there is variety in this, it still shows us a sense of unity. The large portal is very similar to the one of Shah Mosque, as both mosques are located in the same place. It seems to be made of both marble and tiles that are painted on. There is Al Thuluth calligraphy all over the portal or gateway that gives it a beautiful vibe. Similar to the Shah portal, this one also has a beehive-like decoration that is called Muqarnas. I think that they put so much effort into making the portal so