Academic Catalog

ART 2G: INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2023
Units: 4.5
Hours: 4 lecture, 1.5 laboratory per week (66 total per quarter)
Advisory: Not open to students with credit in ART 13.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU/UC
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable
Formerly: ART 13

Student Learning Outcomes

  • A successful student will be able to recognize and name the major periods in Islamic culture (e.g. Umayyad, Ottoman, etc.) based on stylistic attributes as well as specific thematic indicators.
  • A successful student will be able to demonstrate and discuss the impact of mystic Sufi theology on the architecture of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Description

This course is a comprehensive overview of the visual culture of Islamic peoples from the seventh through the 21st centuries. We will examine painting, objects, and architecture to better understand the rich cultural heritage of this world religion.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Identify historic influences on the development of Islamic art
  2. Identify ways in which influences were transformed in Islamic art
  3. Recognize and name the major periods in Islamic culture (e.g., Umayyad, Ottoman, etc.) based on stylistic attributes as well as specific thematic indicators
  4. Demonstrate and discuss the impact of mystic Sufi theology on the architecture of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries
  5. Identify images and forms in Islamic art and discuss the meanings and uses of these symbols in the Islamic world
  6. Identify and discuss architectural forms in Islamic art and discuss their function and purpose in the Islamic world
  7. Demonstrate increased visual awareness of the richness of Islamic art through oral and written comment

Course Content

  1. Introduction to the geography and history of the Middle East
  2. Introduction to the art of the Middle East on the eve of the Arab Invasions: Byzantium, Sassanian Iran, and the Arabian peninsula
  3. Umayyad art (Damascus 661-750)
  4. Abbasid art (Baghdad 750-1000)
  5. Islamic art during the dismemberment of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of independent states
    1. Islamic art of Central Asia, 10th-14th century: the Samanids, the Ghaznavids, the Seljuk Turks, and the Mongols
    2. Islamic art of North Africa and Spain, 10th-14th century: the Idrisids, the Almohads, the Nasrids, the Aghlabids, and the Fatimids
    3. Art of Islam, 15th-17th century: the Timurids, the Mamluks, the Safavids, the Mughuls, and the Ottomans Turks
    4. Islamic art and culture into the 21st century with particular reference to tensions with the West

Lab Content

Lab activities are provided for students to practice visual literacy and critical thinking skills through the synthesis of content from lecture, posted videos, and the reading assignments through written responses to weekly prompts related to specific works of art and architecture. Students practice visual literacy skills through observation, description, analysis, and interpretation within the historical and cultural context using the language of visual analysis (formal elements and principles of design), technique, and genre. Students practice the application of theoretical frameworks (biography, Marxism, Feminism, Psychoanalysis, Modernism, Postmodernism, Post-colonialism, Structuralism, etc.) regarding each topic area.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Slide collection and projection equipment adequate for the lectures on the subject.
2. Access to the Artstor online image archive. Classroom must be internet connected and provided with digital projector, DVD player, and VHS player.
3. When taught via Foothill Global Access, ongoing access to a computer with email address, software and hardware, and internet.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Two midterms (multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay question)
Final exam (multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay question)
Research paper
Research activity assignments based on instructional library research modules
Moderated online discussions

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion
Cooperative learning exercises
Oral presentations
Independent study
Field trips

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Hillenbrand, Robert. Islamic Art and Architecture (World of Art). 2021.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Approximately one chapter of text (30-60 pages) per week
  2. Primary/secondary source reading from handouts
  3. 7-8 page paper prepared using the MLA format and researched using primary and secondary sources only

Discipline(s)

Art History