Beauty and Islam

by Valérie Gonzalez

"This illustrated volume explores aspects of aesthetics in classical Islamic thought set in the context of contemporary theories. Valerie Gonzalez offers new perspectives on Islamic art and architecture with examples ranging from the Qur'an and the Alhambra to the works of present-day artists and philosophers.". "Tracing the roots of Islamic aesthetics back to the works of great philosophers of the Middle Ages such as Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Gonzalez shows that aesthetic theory in Islam belongs within the wider context of medieval thinking on theology, ethics, physics and metaphysics.". "In Gonzalez's analysis, an investigation of the famous optical illusion in the Qur'anic story of King Solomon and the queen of Sheba reveals an aesthetic metaphor. Her exploration of the geometrical decorative configurations of the Alhambra provides a new interpretation based upon current theories of phenomenology and semiotics.". "This work brings fresh insights to its subject by