Historiography of arts of Islam

The historiography of arts of Islam is the study of the Histoire of arts of Islam in time.

The history of the arts of Islam is a complex field from the extent of the fields geographical, chronological, cultural and linguistics which it recuts. It requires the intervention of many disciplines, like the Histoire of art, obviously, but also the Histoire of architecture, the Archéologie, the Numismatique, the epigraphy, the Codicologie and the Histoire. It is partly for these reasons, but as because of the historical context as this matter was born rather recently, compared to history of the Antique art or European.

Before the 19th century

The first Islamic objects arrived to Europe via the treasures of church. Thus, Islamic ivories, crystals and fabrics were used as reliquaries. Egypt Fatimide, place where many Christians were, provided the occident much into luxury article, as testifies some the Aiguière with the birds out of crystal to the 10th century, currently with the Musée of the Louvre but which belonged to the treasure of the Abbaye of Saint-Denis.

From the 16th century, with the development of the collectionnism, the objects of stone lasts manufactured out of ground of Islam finds itself at private individuals. The French royal collections, in particular under Louis XIV, thus contained many Othoman objects out of stone, currently also preserved at Louvre. The " drive out with the manuscrits" what carries out Colbert also makes it possible to introduce in France of the Arab, Persan manuscripts and Turkish.

It is at the 17th century that the first translation in French of the Coran takes place, thanks to André of Ryers (1647). Others are also interested in the poets, like Hafez and Saadi, and in the 1704 perfect first edition of Thousand and One Nights in French, in a version of Antoine Galland.

The interest for Islamic art is thus, until the 19th century, in particular at the bibliophiles, the paleographers and the medievists.

The 19th century

It is with the formation of the collections that the interest for arts of Islam develops. In a context, orientalist, they are the historians who give the impulse, and the studies of Eastern languages develop, allowing better an access to the various cultures of Islam. As of 1795 is created in Paris the school of the Eastern languages.

It is necessary to put in perspective this development in its context, with the first steps of archeology and colonization. Since 1798, Egypt is directed by western powers, which create in particular the French institute of Cairo. The racial theories flower. In its test on the inequality of the human races , Gobineau estimates that the Persan ones have capacities, but that Arabic, like populates Semitic, cannot develop more, while Turkish is unable to create a clean art.

The collections become extensive as from the years 1850, and remain very eclectic, such as for example that of Sauvageot, whose documents show that it was to some extent about a " odds and ends luxueux". The collection of Andre Goupil, sold in 1888, constituted the funds of Islamic art of decorative arts, while Delors de Gléon bequeathed his to the museum of Louvre. Little by little, the specialized collections take their rise, and allow the expansion of the market of Parisian art this field.

Birth of the discipline

One generally considers Gaston Migeon, conservative in Louvre until 1923, like the father of the history of arts of Islam. At the border between XIXe and 20th century, which was hitherto regarded as a craft industry assumes little by little the statute of art, while the scientists take the changing of the amateurs.

Since 1828 the first more or less scientific publication of an Islamic collection of art takes place, that of the Duc of Blacas (diplomatic died in 1839), by All Saints' day Renaud, a large Arabist. The work speaks then about " monumens musulmans".

The presence of many architects in Cairo under the reign of Muhammad Ali (1805-1848) involves also publications, like that of Pascal Xavier Coste, Arab architecture or the monuments of Cairo (1837). Later, Took of Avennes will make publish a Arab art , according to the monuments of Cairo (1877). From 1882, Egypt is occupied by the British, who take again the torch.

Other countries interest the amateurs, like Spain: Giraud de Prangey is interested thus in the Monuments of Cordoue , then with those of Seville, grenade, before him also to turn to Egypt.

The evolution of the World Fairs shows well with which point the interest for arts of Islam goes up during the 19th century. Thus, in 1851, in London, there does not exist any Eastern country represented, although in the same period are published collections of " reasons arabisants" for the artists of decorative arts. In 1855, in Paris, one notices the appearance of a " district oriental" , with the " presentation; exotique" , presenting " food products, of the fabrics and the objects of the artisanat" coming from Turkey, but also from Egypt and Tunisia, officially under Othoman domination. The World Fair of 1867 presents Egypt under its Pharaonic aspect, but is also present an Egyptian contemporary craft industry.

It is in 1869 qu ' takes place it first exposure (not universal) devoted to the East, which exhibe of the Persan and Indian objects of large collections (Davilliers, Schaeffer…). One finds thus ceramic there, paintings, metals and carpet. But still almost ten years should be waited so that in a World Fair the first gallery devoted to the East appears, presenting old objects of " art musulman". In Paris in 1889, this part developed considerably, since a street of Cairo is reconstituted on the field of Mars, with parts of buildings like moucharabiehs.

Years 1870-1910 experience also the development of specific exposures. London presents the Iranian art, while to Paris, Georges Marye exposes 1500 d'" objects; art musulman" in 1893. 1893 is besides an important date in the history of the discipline: indeed, it is this year that is created in Louvre a section devoted to arts of Islam, included in the new department of the objects of Article an exposure will again take place in Paris, decorative arts, in 1903, under the direction of Gaston Migeon and Koechlin. Following an exposure of Munich, the first Islamic catalog of art is published in 1910 per the Saar and Martin. Two years later, Hammer and Vever publish the miniatures Persians , following an exposure of decorative arts. With the museum of Louvre, the first rooms of Muslim art open in 1905, to which others in 1922 are added some. In Berlin, it in year 1905 that Kaiser Museum opens its rooms, is also entrusted in the Saar.

The transformation of the study of the art of Islam of a master key time for amateurs with a scientific discipline also passes by the training of the students, and thus the drafting of handbooks. Albert Gayet publishes the first in 1893 ( arts Arab ) and 1895 ( Iranian art ), but the first which refers really is that of Migeon and Saladin, Manuel of Muslim art , published E 1907 and which treats at the same time architecture and of visual art and industrial

Colonization involves, in France, the intensification of research on Maghrebian art, in Algeria, then in Tunisia and in Morocco. The creation of the Berber files indicates the interest which then Europeans carry to these areas. As of second half of the 19th century, the Algerian monuments are listed for Napoleon III. However, the student's and conservatory aspect appears only in the years 1900-1950. In 1897 a national museum of Muslim art is installed, in 1905, an exposure of Muslim art is held in Algiers.

In the Ottoman Empire, the separation of Syria between France (current Syria and Lebanon) and England (current Israel and Palestine) in 1922 also involve an intensification of research for the art of this area. Since 1920, two great archaeological reviews, Syria and the archaeological Annales of Syria had been created, at the same time as a French institute of study installed with Damas.

The British also profited from favorable conditions in their colonies of Iraq, India and Sind, deploying their activities in the studies of the Central Asia by prospections and excavations. Since 1860 the organization Archeological Survey off India had been created, which allowed the study of Indian sites. From 1950, the Central Asia was mainly studied by archeologists of the USSR, creating a great vacuum for the Western researchers. Fortunately, with the fall of the mode in 1991, their publications are represented, and open a new field of studies.

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