Arabesque (Islamic art)
The arabesque from it. Arabesco (German: Moorish, Oriental), is a developed from late antiquity, Hellenistic models tendrils ornament. The term both the infill, natural acanthus leaves the Renaissance as well as the more stylized foliate ornaments are named in Islamic art. Both do not relate to each other in direct dependence, but have similar roots.
Conceptual history
Definition and use of the term arabesque are contradictory and inconsistent. Miss course is already the anachronistic application to the late antique decorative shapes. Primarily, it is a first time in 1530 as rabesci assignable term with which you then also designated Akanthusornamente on the front panels of pilasters. The choice of terminology has thus stated that the exemplary Hellenistic- Roman ornamentation was known to Renaissance artists Byzantium, which belonged to the Ottoman Empire since 1453. Since the 17th century the names arabesque, grotesque and Moorish patterns were often used interchangeably. At least since 1851 arabesque applied for oriental ornaments, especially since Alois Riegl restricting the term to the stylized fork leaf tendril of Islamic art. The uncertainty continues to this day, you can by a more concrete, more descriptive word choice (eg " Akanthusranke " ) are escaped.
Arabesque in European art
The main features of the Renaissance arabesque are: a compared to other ornaments relatively organic, natural reproduction, not always symmetrical arrangement, the opposition of the Volutenranken, uniform surface filling and the generally rectangular frame. These elements have characterized the ornamental style of the Roman Empire, where the Akanthusranke was popular as a surface filling parts of the architecture. So the ornament was also used during the Italian Renaissance in buildings and of painters in the architectural representation, and in the book much jewelry.
Since 1520 return corresponding motifs in German ornament stitches again, like the involvement of candelabra motifs and human figures. Her engravers include Peter Flötner, Heinrich Aldegrever, Barthel Beham, Daniel Hopfer and others. Executed Arabeskenreliefs shows the Fugger Chapel in Augsburg ( 1518), the market fountain in Mainz ( 1526), the Georgentor in Dresden, the terracotta friezes of Statius Duren ( 1551/66 ) and the civil architecture in Görlitz.
The arabesque is different from the simultaneous Moorish patterns, with which it is sometimes confused, by greater closeness to nature and a lower level of abstraction. While the arabesque from antique models can be derived, the Moorish patterns own variant came through the import handicraft goods from the Moorish -dominated regions in Spain over Italy to Germany and the Netherlands, where they, even more simplified and stylized, within the rich spectrum of Groteskenornamentik represented.
Arabesque in Islamic art
Certainly due to the Islamic prohibition of images developed in the Near East under the influence spätantikem for Islamic art typical, flat stylized vine of bifurcating leaves a field evenly fill in vibratory motion. Particularly impressive arabesques found in many halls of the Alhambra in Granada. Use find the pattern in architectural decoration, crafts and book art.
Military affairs
In the armed forces of the former GDR, the collar patches were designated as part of the insignia of the rank group of generals and flag officers, as arabesque. See the main article Larisch embroidery