Islam and Christianity Made Visual, Essay Example

Considering that calligraphy and mosaic are visual representations of religious belief, compare and contrast Islamic calligraphy at Alhambra and Dome of the Rock to Christian mosaics at Ravenna.

At Alhambra, they are calligraphies carved mostly in stone. At the Dome of the Rock, they are mosaics of complex patterns. It seems the sanction against the recreation of human images force Muslims into more diverse art forms.

What do you think each art form communicates about the religion it represents?

For Islam, calligraphy is representative in numerous ways. First, there is the literal communication of calligraphy as words. They communicate what the words themselves mean. Next, they communicate more than the words say. For example, text is often expressed approximating the shapes of creation. It is as if to say there is more to the meaning of the words than mere overt understandings. Perhaps, this more than anything implies at least two things. One is that Islam as a religion takes the Commandment forbidding graven images to an extreme interpretation. The other is that that neither the observed world nor the language is sufficient to reveal true reality.