Introduction
The Wazir Khan Mosque, an epitome of the Mughal fresco art, has fascinated me to such an extent that I have chosen it as my personal study topic. I have always had a considerable interest in various architectural structures. I came to know of the exquisite frescos of this lavishly decorated mosque during the start of my A level when I among some of my batch mates decided to take part in a wall painting competition. Our topic was the culture and traditions of Pakistan so we decided to paint a view from a mosque.
During my research I came across many buildings with fresco art e.g. the Badshahi mosque, Jahangir’s tomb, etc but the lavish motifs of the Wazir Khan mosque grabbed my attention immediately. Subsequently, my keen interest for old monuments became attached to special admiration for the “frescos” of The Wazir Khan Mosque. I found the minute details, the patterns and the perfect play of geometry of the frescos very enthralling. In my essay, I am going to closely study the Wazir khan Mosque, paying special attention to the meticulous fresco work, focusing on patterns and geometric shapes, as well as talking about frescoes around the world. It would also be followed by the interview of the master of fresco art in Pakistan: Ustad (teacher) Rafaqat who, along with others, is a force behind the revival of Fresco Art in Pakistan.
Discovering Wazir Khan
My Visit to the Wazir Khan Mosque
On my visit to the Wazir Khan Mosque I was astonished to know that such an appealing structure stands in busy bazaar (market), where all sorts of traffic are running, with a hustle and bustle of people. But when I entered the mosque it was so peaceful and charismatic in contrasting to the blaring bazaar around. Looking at the mosqu...
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...gs in the subcontinent have been use to decorate the Mosques, Mausoleum, Temples and Stupas. There are paintings from the Buddhist period in the ancient Ajanta Caves telling the stories of Ghutam Buddha and his teachings.
Other prominent buildings of the Mughal era are: Red fort (Lal quila) built in 1638-1648 in Old Delhi-India and Badshahi Mosque built in 1671-1673 in Lahore-Pakistan.
In Lahore, Pakistan: Mughal Fresco paintings are found on the walls of many buildings like the Badshahi mosque, Shahi QIla, Wazir Khan Mosque, Maryam Zamani Masjid and the Shalimar garden. These paintings are of fruits, trees, flowers, plants and geometric shape as Islam forbids the drawing of human life. In Pakistan, artists like Ustad Rafaqat, Ustad Saif-ur-Rehman along with many others are working towards the promotion, preservation and revival of this dying art.
During the 15th century, Northern Europe as well as Italy witnessed a serious revival of drawing accompanied by sculpture, painting and architecture. This revival was termed as the Renaissance. The revival effected major changes onto the representation of pictorial space on these two regions. These changes on that occurred on pictorial space representation were mostly driven by new idea of “Humanism”. Humanism philosophy practically outwitted religious and secular belief. As a result, the philosophy shifted a lot f importance to the dignity and value of the individual (Prescott, 2005; Fuga, 2006).
Wilkinson, C. ‘Egyptian Wall Paintings: The Metropolitan Museum’s Collection of Facsimiles’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin New Series, Vol. 36, No. 4 (1979)
The Suleymaniye mosque was truly a masterpiece during the time it was built in the mid 1500s. Today, it still never fails to captivate its audience through the complexity of its design and the intellectual analysis of its significance. The mosque was actually said to be as magnificent as the Seven Wonders of the World according to two European travelers, Freynes Moryson and John Sanderson, soon after its completion (Nelipogulu 221). The mosque is definitely symbolic in the city of Istanbul, sitting a top the highest hill, in that it represents central power and strength of the Turkish Empire (see Image 1) (Yayinlari 30). As we take a closer look at the Suleymaniye we see many aspects of religion through its sensual and visual experience. We also find a great deal of complexity, from the contradictory aspects Sinan applied to the mosque, throughout a more in depth intellectual analysis.
...olour scheme used showed how much value was engaged in the style and material that were presented in the painting. In evaluating the chapter comparing to the painting the author felt that the beginning of the era the skill level was often not acknowledged whereas materials were, but at the end of the era, skill level played a larger factor in who was chosen to complete the artwork. Therefore, the significance of the applicability of the chapter to the fresco painting changed as a deposit of relations of the artist and art they created with there talent, style, and skills.
“Culture belongs to the imagination; to judge it rationally is to misunderstand its function” (Wilson 79). In “The Butterfly Mosque” by G. Willow Wilson, she acknowledges culture and explains why cultures can differ so greatly. She emphasizes why its highly inconclusive to try to find a meaning behind ones culture. As a young American Muslim women she is faced with cross cultural ironies as she tries to find her identity and where she fits in. Her conversion to Islam brings into light her internalized prejudice and the different perspectives of Westerners towards the Middle East and vice versa. In her memoir, she depicts both positive and negative aspects of both cultures and, her struggle to find a common ground between the two.
The Fragment of a Fresco is a piece that is perfectly balanced with equal proportions divided directly in the center. It is an illusionary view shown through two panels that appear as green tinted glass. Within these panels are scenes of the world outside as if looking through a window. Looking into the left panel, one can see a square temple with ornamental sculpture surrounding the roof. An intricately designed columned porch runs deep alongside the temple. In front of the temple at the base of the panel, is a group of men or boys displaying gestures of joy and happiness. The right panel is filled with a cluster of various buildings including a round temple. The depicted buildings display a view of the elevation and complexity of the design of the city. The buildings are painted using an elaborately layered style that utilizes shadows to show the depth of the city. The upper portions of both panels have faded to the point that the scenes are completely obscured. Directly surrounding both panels is a red border that is plain and non-decorative. Dividing the fresco into the two individ...
When walking around a city, you may notice that the architecture and art look similar to other works. Many of these designs have changed along the course of history and time whilst others have not. The designs that many people still see in society and day to day living is from two of the many cultures of the old civilizations, Roman and Islamic. The art and architecture forms from the Islamic and Roman cultures have many comparisons and contrasts between them. They, the Islamic and Roman nations, have both adopted from other cultures and have made their own discoveries in the art and architecture worlds. The Roman and Islamic architecture and art vary drastically from each other and yet have varying comparisons between the two.
My interpretation of this incredible architectural achievement is an appreciation of how this building has been able to unify people of all cultures, races and religions, through its use of natural elements and astoundingly simple interior. The symbolism throughout the entire piece is remarkable, beginning with the lotus flower which has been relevant in Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, and also and identifying factor when considering the buildings relationship to its location. The nine ponds adjacent to the building are organised in a manner that not only represents the leaves of the flower, but also is an innovative cooling system for the building. The unification of these natural aspects extends the organisation of the interior, minimal use of religion specific content allows for the freedom of worship, as the Baha’i faith believes we all worship one god under different names (Architectural Blossoming of the Lotus). Equality and balance is a key design aspect and is shown throughout the composition of the building and also continues as a key aspect of the Bahá’ belief, indicating we are all balanced people who are equal regardless of race or any other factors.
We live in a world full of different religions and all of them have, for the most part, a lot of similarities between them. Some of said similarities include beliefs or practices, art, statuary and architecture or buildings such as temples or churches. They serve as reminders of teachings or beliefs and also a place to gather and worship. The architecture or structures are so revered by the people who build them that they themselves become intricate works of art. Another form in use is statues. Most religions use some form of statuary as shrines to visit or pray to, also as a representation of the image portrayed by their chosen religion. A religion with a strong representation of this practice is Buddhism. Today, Buddhism is recognized as one of the world’s major religions.
The architecture of the houses on Food Street is basically pre-independence, i.e. a mixture of Colonial and Hindu architecture. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Gowalmandi was inhabited by the rich Hindu merchants, who had moved out of the congested, narrow alleyed Walled City. The Hindus had a passion for building houses with fine exterior detail work that is still found there. Since the British were the ruling class - the elite tried to copy them and it is visible in the houses constructed at that time, i.e. the Anglo-Indian style. After partition, most of the inhabitants of Gowalmandi migrated to India and those who came to Pakistan were alloted houses in this vicinity. Being multi-storeyed houses, these were alloted out in different floors, thus leading to the destruction of these buildings, because of multiple ownership.
In the following essay, I will be comparing and contrasting to architectural pieces by the Indians. The first is the Taj Mahal, a building constructed from white marble that took seventeen years to build in honor of Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal (Z. Haq). This piece of architectural beauty belonged to the Mughal’s, the Muslim emperors in India (Z. Haq). The second is the Great Stupa at Sanchi, a holy, dome shaped structure that covers the body of the Buddha in honor of him and his contributions to Buddhism (Fischer, Julia). Furthermore, this structure was made of ruins, rocks, mud, and covered in bricks (Fischer, Julia). Both pieces of architecture are significant to the Indians, however they do contrast in some ways.
Seymour, Charles. Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel Ceiling: Illustrations, Introductory Essays, Backgrounds and Sources, Critical Essays. New York: Norton, 1972. Print.
The lines, mostly curved, are in great harmony details. The color from both outside and inside could be changed as the light from the sun moves. The flowers and Koran written on the walls and the gate give people who visiting wondering of what is that means. As the visitors walked pass each area, I think they would imagine of what each areas mean from the story of Taj Mahal. From the video, I think some sights of Taj Mahal create sorrowing sights.
Religion is an important factor in many lives in today’s society. A particular western religion that is taken very seriously by many is known as Islam. Essentially, Islam means “submission”, or in other words a person is to abide by God and peace will follow. In order to comprehend the Islamic religion, it is consequential to view the major themes associated with this religion. By going through the central themes of Islam it could help others comprehend what is involved with this specific religion.
In the reading, Peering through the cracks in Baburnana: the texturized lives of Mughal Sovereigns, author Azfar Moin, an assistant professor in south Asian history at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, explores the “intertwined literary and political processes that moulded the texts of Mughal sovereigns” through the life of Akbar. Moin argues that the texts “participated” in the making of the new institutions of kingship and sainthood. One can make the argument that Mughal paintings were used as a means to express royal power and dynastic legitimacy. For example, early in the life of Akbar, he enjoyed hearing stories of his grandfather’s (Amir Hamza) military expeditions. He loved them so much that once he had became an emperor, Akbar gathered artists and writers to produce the story of Amir Hamza military expedition of him dominating Iran through bravery and war (changing it from Zoroaster to Islam) to depict him as a brave warrior. And so, 1400 folio...