Search results for ""Author Scala Publishers""

An encounter with the artistic heritage of Islam is characterized by two factors that make it very special: 1) the vast dimension of the areas involved, from Spain to Central Asia as far as China, and south to sub-Saharan Africa 2) its continuing influence through fourteen centuries of history. Within the great variety of structures and objects showing an Islamic aesthetic, some constants stand out: the most representative art is certainly calligraphy, with its numerous graphic variations, all of which have great visual impact. The ceramics with their extraordinary shapes and amazing range of colors, the metalwork's damascening of precious materials and subtle details, the refined textiles that nearly constitute a separate art, and the carpets that illustrate a rich diversity in design form the portrait of an artistic culture at the highest level.

Read more less

Starting in the 10th century BCE, Greek art began to stand out for its variety of regional styles found mainly in ceramic works of the Protogeometric and Geometric Periods, which were given these names do to the use of decorative patterns based on a combination of lines and circles. These characteristics were orientalized following the acquisition of motifs from eastern civilizations during the 8th and 7th centuries BCE; leading to the Archaic Period, with its focus on the human body, especially in sculpture. The Classical Age, with its emphasis on beauty and harmony followed, and eventually gave way to Hellenism upon the death of Alexander the Great. Rome had a farming and pastoral origin until it came into contact with Greece in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. An elegant style developed during the reign of Augustus, especially in architectural decorations, sculpture, portraiture, and craftwork. Eclectic influences were incorporated into the mosaics, paintings and public buildings built during the Imperial Age.

Read more less

The beginnings of Gothic art can be dated towards the middle of the 12th century. Starting from the Ile de France, this artistic movement spread throughout Europe, embracing all fields of artistic endeavor and lasting in some regions until the 16th century. The most obvious architectural developments involved the introduction of the ogival arch, flying buttresses, spires, and galleries which permitted the lightening of walls and the construction of taller buildings. This survey ranges from illustrated manuscripts through the great cathedrals of Europe and artists such as Fabriano, Simone MartiniMeister Bertram, Pisanello, Nicola Pisano, and Claus Sluter.

Read more less