The Arabesque

The Arabesque Sat, 05/16/2020 - 01:00 May 16, 2020 Heba Nayel Barakat

This is a fantastic art history book if you're interested in learning more about arabesque patterns and the evolution of Islamic art in general.

An Arabesque is the term used to describe a particular type of vegetal scroll, with a strong emphasis on order, symmetry, repetition and chiaroscuro[1].

This pattern has changed over time as Islam spread from Mecca to other parts of the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia and through varying dynasties' individual tastes and patronage.

You'll find museum quality examples of arabesques in this book with examples of Qur'anic illumination, tiles, carpets, embroidery, wooden panelling and more.

Fantastic as a coffee table book or if you're looking to learn more about this art form.


  1. "the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting."

    Read more on Wikipedia. ↩︎

Subheading
An Introduction
Heba Nayel Barakat
Book Cover