Product Description

Presenting images of the architecture and decorative arts of the Islamic world, particularly Moorish Spain, this volume shows how it acted as an inspiration for designers and architects in the 19th- and 20th-centuries in Europe and America. It explains the development and characteristic elements of Islamic art and architecture through the buildings of mosques, the medium of calligraphy and pattern and through the handling of materials as diverse as ceramic, wood and stone.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #901854 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-16
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.08" h x 9.34" w x 11.28" l, 3.22 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From Library Journal
This is a study of the development of the "Moorish" style in architecture and crafts as it developed in North Africa and Spain, as well as the style's influence on the architecture of Europe, the Americas, and contemporary Islamic lands. Danby (professor emeritus in architecture, Newcastle Univ.) is at his best in explaining the appeal of the Moorish on Western European culture, with intriguing examples ranging from Romantic paintings to 20th-century movie theaters. The somewhat academically wordy text is profusely illustrated with excellent color photographs of buildings and museum objects. Unfortunately, any value of the text is almost totally undermined by the book's design: the body text is typeset in a thin, condensed, san serif font set in narrow columns and printed with a light gray ink, which renders the writing almost unreadable. Recommended for specialized collections for its coverage of the influence of the Moorish on later architectural styles, and its spectacular color illustrations.?Eugene C. Burt, Art Inst. of Seattle Lib.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher
Presenting images of the architecture and decorative arts of the Islamic world, particularly Moorish Spain, this volume shows how it acted as an inspiration for designers and architects in the 19th- and 20th-centuries in Europe and America. It explains the development and characteristic elements of Islamic art and architecture through the buildings of mosques, the medium of calligraphy and pattern and through the handling of materials as diverse as ceramic, wood and stone.