Does this exhibit explain how the Islamic influence on Western art was severely limited by the fact that Sharia forbids representation of the human form? Or would that reflect negatively upon Islam and Sharia, and so is forbidden to be stated? Will the British Museum host an exhibition on how Western art influenced the Islamic world, a topic about which there is a great deal that could be said, ranging from the cultural appropriation of Byzantine church architecture to the stylistic similarities of Shi’ite iconography to Western art? The answer to both questions is “of course not.” This is just another example of the British intelligentsia’s ongoing efforts to compel Britons to be ashamed of their own culture and heritage, and to think of Islamic culture as antecedent and superior to their own. It’s just more of Britain’s ongoing cultural suicide.
“Exploring the influence of Muslim culture on the West,” by Gavin O’Toole, Al Jazeera, October 13, 2019:
London, United Kingdom – A 19th-century painting of a harem by European artist Antoine-Ignace Melling has been animated, subverting the depictions of the women within, from passive subjects of erotic fantasy to drab creatures engaged in jerky, repetitive movements reminiscent of a cuckoo clock.
This is contemporary Turkish artist Inci Eviner’s reimagining of a “classic” portrayal of an Ottoman harem and its message is serious. Art from the Middle East is outgrowing its “Orientalist” straitjacket.
Her work is part of a major exhibition in London’s British Museum called Inspired by the East, that explores the significant – yet often unacknowledged – influence of Eastern culture on the West.
“Discover centuries of art inspired by the Islamic world,” the museum promises visitors.
Co-curator Julia Tugwell said there has been a resurgence of interest in Orientalist work after it fell out of fashion for years, and she hopes the exhibition can help to reduce barriers thrown up by politics.
“People might forget that there has been an exchange between East and West for centuries, much longer than we think and while, of course, some of that has been warfare, a lot of it has been diplomatic relations and artistic exchange.
“Looking at this through an artistic medium and showing how there has been this interest in the ‘other’ from both directions over the years shows that there has been an ongoing dialogue.”
Organised in collaboration with the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, the exhibition traces Western fascination with the Eastern and Muslim world since the medieval era….
Catherine Futter of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, who contributed to the exhibition’s catalogue, said Islamic influence in European design endures.
“We still see Islamic arches and patterns incorporated into architecture and perhaps we see them so often they seem part of our currency and we have forgotten their sources – whereas in the 19th century they would have seemed far more unusual.
“One of the things that is exciting about this exhibition is that it is highlighting that important contribution to art, culture, science and technology made by the Islamic world.”…
Egyptian-British artist Iythar, who lives in London, said the exhibition could not have come at a better time amid rising anti-Muslim sentiment.
“This is very important and should have been done sooner because it helps people see the positive impact Islam has had in the world – not just in art but culture in general.
“Many people only choose to listen to what they hear in the media and don’t know anything about Islam, so when they go to an exhibition like this and appreciate the benefits of the Islamic culture, it fosters tolerance.”
Angemon says
Well, the coat of arms of my birth city depicts a knight slaying a muslim. I guess that’s “muslim culture ” influencing “the West”…
mortimer says
Yes, much of European military style was influenced by the need to go on Crusades to stop the Muslims from invading, sacking and enslaving Europe.
Ben Kennedy says
Actually the Mohammedans went on a Crusade to conquer the Holy Land. The Europeans sent soldiers to Jerusalem to protect the Christian Holy Site. The real Crusaders are the moslems and they have been ever since Mohammad established his new religion in the Dark Ages, and took his disciple military on his first Crusade to conquer the world. Mohammad would be very happy today if he had not been languishing in the Fires of Hell ever since he died.
Angemon says
Huh, the article opens by describing the depiction of an harem – many women in harems there were non-muslim women kidnapped and sold as sex slaves. They were, often, guarded by eunuchs – male slaves who had been castrated.
mortimer says
How does Islamic treatment of women ‘foster tolerance’ ???
Does the British Museum believe that …
-ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT WOMEN ?
-ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT THE VISUAL ARTS?
-ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF DHIMMIS?
Ben Kennedy says
“…it fosters tolerance” is wrong. Such exhibits foster submission to the Mohammedans by a mental condition generally known as the “Stockholm Syndrome. I understand that readers here realize this, and I only comment in the hopes it will give you something else to think about. Never let the Deluded Liberals (and the Mohammedans they support) control or shape the dialog they hope to subvert. Call a “spade a spade”. Truth is the only reality. Everything else is fiction.
Thomas Richard says
Did they include the beheadings?
mortimer says
There are many paintings by Europeans that depict the Islamic slave trade.
Does the British Museum agree that
– those PAINTINGS AGREED and GLORIFIED with the Islamic slave trade?
– or did those paintings DISAGREED and CONDEMNED the Islamic slave trade?
mortimer says
Architectural note: The so-called Moorish arch was known in Spain, Syria and Europe hundreds of years before the Muslim invaders adopted it. Much of the art that is known as ‘Islamic’ was not in fact invented, but copied by Muslims from the civilizations they eventually destroyed.
Horseshoe arches were invented by the Visgoths. They are known from pre-Islamic Syria, where the form was used in the fourth century CE in the Baptistery of Mar Ya’qub (St. Jacob) at Nisibin[1] and Qasr Ibn Wardan (564 CE).[2] Some argue that it was used earlier in the Sassanian Taq-Kasra in Iraq.[
gravenimage says
True, Mortimer.
I have mentioned this before, but I had an art book as a child that described Hagia Sophia as the most famous example of “Islamic architecture”–even though this is a Byzantine cathedral. The only Muslim “contributions” were adding minarets and plastering over the sublime mosaics.
mortimer says
‘Islam was not a torch, as has been claimed, but an extinguisher. Conceived in a barbarous brain for the use of a barbarous people, it was – and it remains – incapable of adapting itself to civilization. Wherever it has dominated, it has broken the impulse towards progress and checked the evolution of society.’
– Andre Servier, in L’islam et la psychologie du musulman (1923)
gravenimage says
Salient quote, Mortimer. Thank you.
Mischief Maker in the Land says
Music from the Riyadh Symphony Orchestra accompanies the exhibition throughout.
gravenimage says
Ha ha
D J says
I hear they will be playing John Cage’s 4’33” on a loop.
Barb says
Let’s hope the Brits will stay away in droves in protest over the false narrative!
Let’s hope there is a huge backlash to this Exhibition!
Aussie Infidel says
Much Islamic art is little more than geometrical drawing and calligraphy.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/visiting/galleries/middle_east/room_42-43_the_islamic_world.aspx
Muhammad forbade the depiction of the human form by Muslims, because he was a psychopath with no empathy for other people. With few exceptions, paintings involving people have been done by non-Muslim artists.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/exploring-influence-muslim-culture-west-191012183507580.html
Any “positive impact” Islamic art might have in the world, is completely nullified by the ‘negative impact’ caused by Islam’s barbaric ideology. Islam commands Muslims to “reject any other religion but Islam” (Quran 2:217. 3:32 etc); to “fight in the cause of Allah” (Quran 4:74); to “kill unbelievers wherever you find them” (2:191, 4:89, 9:5); to “terrify the unbelievers” (8:12, 8:60); to “fight them until there is no opposition or disbelief and everyone worships Allah.” (8:39); to “force them to pay the jizya tax” (9:29); to “be harsh and forceful with them” (9:73, 9:123, 48:29); and to “strike the unbelievers on their necks and slaughter them.” (47:4).
When Islam adopts a civilized attitude toward non-Muslims, it will earn the respect of the rest of the world – and no doubt be reflected in its art. Until then, art produced by Muslims will be largely inorganic, and sterile; and the experience of an Islamic art exhibition a bit like a condemned man admiring his executioner’s sword.
gravenimage says
Yes–Islamic art is mostly calligraphy and tile work–things that are largely considered minor arts in the West.
tim gallagher says
Personally, I don’t care about the supposed positive cultural contributions by Muslims. Every bunch of people are bound to come up with some talented artists or architects, or scientists, or whatever. If there are enough people, then some will inevitably have some talent. But Islam has caused so much misery and done so much evil in the world. So, I don’t give a damn about any supposed positive contribution by Islam. To my mind, it’s like talking about the positive contribution Nazism brought to the world. They probably had some talented artists or scientists, but so what!! The negative far outweighs any supposed positive cultural contribution. That Egyptian-British artist, Iythar’s comments, in this report, about the media being negative about Islam strikes me as total BS. I think too much of the media run a protection racket for Islam and refuse to tell the truth and say how vile Islam is. Jihad Watch tells us the truth. My attitude is that if any ideology, whether Islam or anything else, does an extraordinary amount of damage and evil, then I couldn’t care less about appreciating its “positive” cultural contribution to humanity.
gravenimage says
Fine post, Tim.
As for Inci Eviner, she is just like so many contemporary “artists”, who just rework the work of better artists (and in this case, a minor artist to begin with).
gravenimage says
What she is doing is more politics–and ham-fisted politics at that–than actual art:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W5gVJuw18U
tim gallagher says
Thanks, gravenimage. As I said in my comment if islam or Nazism have committed appalling atrocities and has been a murderous blight on humanity, I really couldn’t care less about their art. Actually, maybe I’m wrong, I imagine, say, that my favourite artist in the whole world, might be a Muslim artist,(extremely unlikely) but still, to me it wouldn’t have any effect on how evil and revolting I think Islam is. The comment by the Muslim artist in the report about how we should see the “positive” impact Islam has had on the world makes no sense to me. Are we supposed to say that the Muslim artistry (if it was wonderful) would somehow make up for the 270 million people slaughtered by Islam in its 1400 year history, the rape gangs now, the child brides, etc, that Islam brings? It’s a strange notion to think that, oh, Islam contributed to art or science, so therefore we should ignore the atrocities it has inflicted. Of course, I know there was appalling cruelty in the European Renaissance period, but it produced plenty of great art. I also know some great artists were pretty appalling people (I’m thinking Picasso, a guy who I read was pretty violent to his girlfriends, or the violent alcoholic Jackson Pollock, etc). Anyway, I guess I’m such an Islamophobe that I just can’t be bothered with the positive influence it had on art, whereas I can appreciate great western art from the Renaissance period and appreciate the art of individual artists who were pretty unpleasant people. I guess I’m too biased against islam as a whole to care about its positive influence on the arts or science. I vaguely recall being pretty impressed by some of the buildings in Grenada (I think I got that right and it was meant to be Muslim (Moorish) architecture) in Spain when I went there in around 1980.
tim gallagher says
I have to make a correction. Of course it was Granada (not Grenada) in Spain and the Alhambra was the area I visited all those years ago.
gravenimage says
British Museum exhibit explores the influence of Muslim culture on the West
…………….
This has been mostly suffering and death…
Lotus says
Anything in the exhibition about the destruction by Muslims of Christian artworks, churches, abbeys, monasteries?
No, I didn’t think so.
gravenimage says
Good point, Lotus.
Nothing about Muslims murdering artists, either.
Yohanan says
All museums cater to their donors, establishments and local population… The British Museum (AKA Londonistan Museum) is no different. The BM has enhanced its focus on Islam. Permanent and temporary exhibitions makes BM’s position clear.
This tone was fixed by the special exhibition of early 2012, “Hajj journey to the heart of Islam”. (Sponsored by KSA Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) See its clip for an example. https://youtu.be/HVLn7ICInvA
The Hajj special exhibition was reviewed by the Museum: “The Museum has clearly achieved a lasting legacy through the exhibition, repositioning the institution for many as a forward-thinking organisation that can tackle complex topics in a respectful and progressive way, achieving wider societal impacts.” Morris Hargreaves McIntyre for the British Museum. Bridging cultures, sharing experiences. An evaluation of Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam at the British Museum. July 2012
A list of recent temporary exhibitions at the very great BM includes:
* No man’s land. (…man-made borders of the Middle East). 22 November 2018 –3 February 2019
* The past is present: becoming Egyptian in the 20th Century. 24 May 2018 – 22 July 2018
* What is Europe: Views from Asia. 23 August – 21 October 2018
* Iranian voices recent acquisitions of works on paper . 26 November 2016 – 21 May 2017
* Faith after the pharaohs. 29 October 2015 – 7 February 2016
* Life and sole footwear from the Islamic world. 14 November 2015 – 15 May 2016
* The prince and the pir: dervishes and mysticism in Iran and India. 11 March – 8 July 2015
* From the figurative to the abstract modern art from the Arab World. 11 July – 8 November 2015
* Modern Syrian art at the British Museum. 4 July 2011 – 9 January 2012
* Lasting impressions Seals from the Islamic World. 15 December 2010 –23 February 2011
Shirley Ann says
The Elitist Brits were always a Bit Balmy about Islam & Look where it Led the Brits. But now the Entire Western, Elite Mob have become “Islamist Friendly” even to INSISTING that OUR MUSEUMS become Dark, Drab Hovels of MUSLIM PROPAGANDA. I live in a Southern City in America & One of Our Museums is now under the Rule of Muslim Donors, whose Names Greet you at the Door. Most NoteWorthy, is a Name of a Former CAIR PRESIDENT, known as an “Unindicted Co-Conspiritor of Terrorism.
Peter WF says
The British Museum needs to be inclusive – Exploring the influence of Western culture on the muslims.
J D S says
The culture if Islam…..is to chop off heads if those who do not believe in their brutal paganism
Proof positive that they worship Satan. and don’t give me that bull that Islam isn’t the islam that is portrayed
today by the terrorist …ISLAM IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION IN ITSELF…gif one don’t believe just read their book of hate and other writings and see these words st work in their terrorism.
DEAR GOD PLEASE SAVE US FROM OURSELVES. As Pogo Once aid.. “We Have Met The Enemy And We Are It”…
Val Lee says
When my husband and I were in London, we visited the British Museum and curators had the Israel/Jewish exhibit closed which was strangely down in the basement. Both the fact it was closed and down in the basement distressed me. I wanted to see it and I asked them why and they offered no reasonable excuse. They told me to come back at a certain time and it might be open. It was not and the same flimsy excuse was offered again. So sad!
Tattooed Man77 says
I wonder if Barbary Slave Ships will be mentioned?
According to Robert Davis, between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were captured by Barbary pirates and sold as slaves in North Africa and Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 19th centuries.[27][28] However, to extrapolate his numbers, Davis assumes the number of European slaves captured by Barbary pirates were constant for a 250-year period, stating:
There are no records of how many men, women and children were enslaved, but it is possible to calculate roughly the number of fresh captives that would have been needed to keep populations steady and replace those slaves who died, escaped, were ransomed, or converted to Islam. On this basis it is thought that around 8,500 new slaves were needed annually to replenish numbers – about 850,000 captives over the century from 1580 to 1680. By extension, for the 250 years between 1530 and 1780, the figure could easily have been as high as 1,250,000.[4]