The Art of Islam at The Met and The Louvre: Foreign Yet Familiar

Great Museums
Great Museums
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Published 2020-12-17
Today, at a pivotal moment in world history, two great museums beckon us to explore the splendor of Islamic art -- lifting the veil on our shared cultural heritage. The objects on display in the Islamic galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York -- and The Louvre in Paris -- reveal a roadmap of connections. This explains why the “foreign” seems familiar.  The art of Islam reflects 14 centuries of changing political and cultural landscapes -- across three continents.

The term “Islamic art” – coined by 19th-century art historians – includes ALL ART produced in Muslim lands from the 7th century forward, from Spain to Morocco, Egypt, the Middle East, Central Asia, and India, to the borders of China. Universal museums like The Louvre and The Metropolitan help dispel the idea that cultures are exclusive, when in fact, they are intertwined.
All Comments (21)
  • @UMBUBA
    Al-Sūfī-the Persian astronomer, was a major contributor to the translation into Arabic of the Hellenistic astronomy that had been centered in Alexandria, Egypt. His was the first to attempt to relate the Greek with the traditional Arabic star names and constellations, which were completely unrelated and overlapped in complicated ways.
  • @magicknight13
    Thank you for these uploads! Among all these wonderful and incredible works of art, that "splashware" and that pitcher were absolutely astounding
  • @lisengel2498
    Its so beautifull …and the Music and song is just so wonderfull 🎵💜🎶
  • @lisengel2498
    And - I am convinced that art and cultures are intertwined in many secret and important ways - maybe because all Human being recognize beauty, devotion and songs of longing and love 🎵💜🎶
  • @emeryroe2487
    Brilliant! What a wonderful presentation, and timely.
  • @gulanourjanova2561
    Am I right to recognize the voice of Philippe de Montebello in the video? It is wow! My respect to the great man!
  • @davehud2552
    The writing, Art-like each like a peacock beautifully drawn. I like every pieces of history I witness watching this, I feel proud it exist in this world maybe someday I can come & see it myself. the patterns crafted, designed or embroidered is unique & gentled so I love it dear❤️💮.
  • @firouz4296
    The calligraphy at 11:18 is Farsi and not arabic! It's a Hafiz poem and NOT a sentence from or about Koran. Huge difference.
  • @edward2175
    An amazing journey through this intricate expression of Love. Ravished.
  • @lisengel2498
    I find this art just so attractive - 🎶💜🎵
  • @Wakobear.
    Beautiful Though I wish you showed some Timurid glazed brickwork (Banna'i/Hazarbaf)
  • @abacus749
    8.01mins This 12th.century lamp has cutwork panels which have perhaps been cut using metal dies and a press? The earliest examples of die cutting in Europe is in the 18th century ,but the Arab Artisans may have been using such methods 600 years earlier. On this lamp you can clearly see where the dies were attached when it was being pressed. I would suggest that this lamp is made of brass ( an alloy of copper and Zinc) rather than just copper?
  • @user-po3ko9yb5w
    Beautiful how they ended by the uniting of worlds , that is the only way forward