Quite often people have a question: what is an arabesque? It would be easy enough to explain if there was only one definition. But it's not. Under the same word are different concepts from different areas. Of course, the main definition is related to the pattern. But what else is it? Let's consider.
Ornament
In order to understand the traditions of any nation, you need to know its cultural heritage. One of the most ancient traditions of man is the decoration with all kinds of images of housing, household items, his body. At the same time, ornament is a widely used form of ancient art. It is inseparable from the object on which it is located.
Each beautiful ornament contains a certain motif, which consists of one or more elements. So, in the Arab countries, its special calligraphic type, which consists of fragments of text and letters, has been widely developed. It arose with the advent of writing.
The arabesque is an ornament that appeared in the Middle Ages in those territories of the East where Islam is widespread. There, absolutely all surfaces were decorated with these patterns: from walls to the vaults of mosques. They were also placed on jewelry, dishes, carpets. And after the conquest of the East, the arabesque came to Europe. The most famous masters used this her in their masterpiece works.
Pattern Features
The works of art created by Arab masters are distinguished by some special spirituality, a subtle sense of the sublime and beautiful, and expressiveness. are unique and original, despite the diversity. What are arabesques in Islam? which do not contain images of living beings.
They have geometric shapes, stunning with their grace and immersing a person in dreams and aspirations to know life's secrets. They amaze with their simplicity, reveal the inner world of the master. In addition, the composition of the ornament included plant elements. These are leaves, buds, and stems, which, intertwined, create a continuous pattern. A distinctive feature of art in Islam was the fear of emptiness, so the ornament covered the entire surface, and there was no room for the background at all.
Oriental arabesque as the art of geometry
Because of the ban on the image of living beings, the masters turned specifically to geometry. Thus, an arabesque is an ornament that consists of elements that are repeated and intertwined. They can diverge in different directions. The patterns are characterized by a clear rhythm, which is verified with high accuracy. This is the real embodiment of mathematical science in art. Each individual element was a whole and complete pattern. The next one intertwined with the previous one very nicely. The ornament could end at any moment, and its integrity did not suffer.
Despite the accuracy, such a pattern cannot be called boring. The mathematical approach did not at all deprive the arabesque of artistic value.
Arabesque and its meditative properties
This ornament is fascinating and rhythmic. When contemplating repeating elements, one can very easily drown in an ocean of intertwining patterns. That is why the arabesque can be called an excellent meditative tool. It is in a special way able to disperse attention, thereby forcing you to forget about the external fuss and plunge into the inner world. That is why in many mosques the arabesque was part of the decoration. Her meditative function helped to focus on prayer and forget about other things.
term in ballet
But the named word denotes only an element of fine art. What is an arabesque in ballet? It can be considered one of the main poses in modern classical dance. This is a very important element of choreography, which is found not only in ballet, but also in belly dance. Classical arabesques are divided into four main types.
Allongee
This is the first and main posture, which is also called ouverte. The back plays the most important role here. To perform this element correctly, you need to stand on one leg, and lift the other, elongated and straight, back to such a height that the angle is 90 degrees. The arm that is opposite to the raised leg is extended forward, and the other is taken to the side. The hands at this time should be extended and pointing palms down. Thus, it seems as if they are leaning on the air.
Second position
The legs and body are in exactly the same position as in the first version. The only difference is that the arm that corresponds to the extended leg is extended forward. The other leg is pulled back so that it can be seen behind the body, while the head is turned towards the viewer.
Third and fourth positions
The next element must be performed facing the viewer. The body leans forward and stretches in the back. The arm and leg that are extended match each other. The second leg is taken to the side. The face is turned towards the outstretched hand. The fourth position involves turning the body half-turn to the viewer with his back. The legs are in the third position position and the outstretched arm is opposite the raised leg. The body turns with a strong arch in the back.
It must be said that the dance masters perform arabesques very beautifully and gracefully. This is the real aesthetics of ballet art.
term in music
There is another area where this word is used. Arabesque in music is such a genre of instrumental piece. For the first time this term in the musical sphere was used by R. Schumann, who called his piece for piano this way. It was in the form of a rondo, and there were contrasting sections in the rhythms. Since then, the term "arabesque" has been used many times by composers to define small piano pieces that have grace, patterned texture. And their melodic pattern is richly ornamented.
term in vogue
In clothes, oriental motifs have long owned the hearts of lovers of unusual clothes. After all, an interesting ornament, bright colors always attract attention. What is an arabesque print? This is a pattern on clothes that belongs to the east and represents plants, animals, and sometimes Arabic calligraphy is used. All this is endlessly intertwined and repeated, replacing the entire background.
Very often you can trace the symmetry and rhythm in the pattern. It should be clarified that in some European countries an arabesque is a pattern that consists exclusively of plant elements. But in a broad sense, this term refers to all ornate, intricate patterns that have an oriental motif. It may look like an endlessly repeating fragment. This is a feature of the pattern. It is connected into one whole and it is impossible to find either the beginning or the end.
Drawings are both contrasting and multi-color, as well as plain. Different fabric textures can be used, which only adds to the intricacy of the pattern.
Results
So what is an arabesque? The definition, as you can see, has many meanings. I must say that these days the named ornament is very popular. It can be seen on carpets, wallpaper and in the work of artisans. Jewelers, fashion designers, and interior designers are inspired by the arabesque. And the emergence of such trends as dudling is connected precisely with So, what is an arabesque? This is an ornament that has become an integral part of world art.
Arabesque ornaments in painting and plastic arts, a bizarre combination of shapes, colors, animals, monsters, attributes, architectural elements, vases and all kinds of objects and tools created more by the artist's imagination than taken from real life. ARABESCO. Wilde Stämme of uncultured tribes. - (Römisch) Roman. - (Aegyptisch) Egyptian. - (Assyrisch) Assyrian. - (Pompejanisch) Pompeian. - (Griechisch) Greek. - (Byzantinisch) Byzantine. - (Persisch) Persian. - (Maurisch) Moorish. - (Arabish) Arabic. - (Türkisch) Turkish. - (Romanisch) Romanesque. - (Japanesisch u. Chinesish) Japanese and Chinese. - (Gotisch) Gothic. - (Renaissance) The Renaissance (Renaissance). - (Deutsche R.) German Renaissance. - (Italienische R.) Italian Renaissance. - (Barock) Baroque style. - (Roceco) Rococo style. Since Arab architecture is especially rich in decorating walls and capitals, it is customary to call arabesques all sorts of fantastic and painted ornaments of various styles, even one that preceded the Arab one. The concept of A. embraces only a part of the field of ornaments. The color pattern of wallpapers, carpets, embroidery, book binding decorations, carvings, vignettes, decoration on utensils, furniture, vessels, if they are not of a strictly sustained style, belong to the area arabesque, on the contrary, plastic decorations of a frieze, capitals, candelabra, as well as colored and non-plastic decorations in a strictly sustained style are called ornaments. Most of all, the colored decorations of the Persians, Turks, Arabs, Japanese and Chinese, as well as partly Romanesque and Gothic frescoes (wall paintings) and strange, bizarre Renaissance decorations (grotesques) are most suitable for the concept of arabesques, in cases where they fall into too fantastic a character. .
Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. - St. Petersburg: Brockhaus-Efron. 1890-1907 .
Synonyms:See what "Arabesque" is in other dictionaries:
arabesques- Arabesques pl. 1. A type of complex ornament consisting of geometric figures and stylized leaves, flowers, etc., which has become widespread in European art Ch. arr. influenced by Arabic patterns. SIS 1985. Painting consists in ... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
- (Italian arabesco Arabian). A pictorial or sculptural decoration, consisting of a bizarre combination of leaves, flowers, animals, monsters, vases, various figures and all kinds of other objects. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Arabesque, pattern, pattern, ornament, decoration Dictionary of Russian synonyms. arabesques see pattern Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011 ... Synonym dictionary
Arabesque Arabesque, Arabesque, Arabesque (French arabesque from Italian arabesco Arabic). Arabesque type of ornament. Arabesque is one of ... Wikipedia
Arabesques, artistic decoration from various broken and crooked patterned styles, as well as flowers, leaves, animals, etc. (in Arabic taste). Wed For a whole hour I can’t get from you how you find this arabesque and an asterisk ... ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)
Mn. 1. Planar or thin stucco ornament with a complex, usually symmetrical pattern, stylizing plant shoots (sometimes combined with geometric figures, inscriptions, images of people and animals) Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova. T.F.… … Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova
Ornaments in painting and plastic arts, a bizarre combination of shapes, colors, animals, monsters, attributes, architectural elements, vases and all kinds of objects and tools, created more by the artist's imagination than taken from real life ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
arabesques- incomprehensible (Sologub); motley (Shapir); colored (Fofanov) Epithets of literary Russian speech. M: The supplier of the court of His Majesty, the partnership of the printing press A. A. Levenson. A. L. Zelenetsky. 1913 ... Dictionary of epithets
arabesques- Arabe / ska, Arabe / ski pl. (French Spanish) 1. Folding and dribbling ornament is more important than stylized flowing and geometric motifs, like a whimsically intertwined. Often there will be symmetrically visible one or more axes, indicating ... ... Architecture and monumental art
A rich and complex ornament based on a whimsical interweaving of geometric and stylized plant motifs, sometimes including an inscription. Received development in the plastic arts of the Arab countries. In music, A. is called a play with ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
An arabesque is an ornament that appeared in the Middle Ages on the territory of the Islamic East. In the bizarre weaves of the pattern, sacredness, mathematics and art are harmoniously connected. The arabesque, the photo of which is presented below, adorned almost any surface. The walls and vaults of mosques were covered with such patterns, they were woven in the process of weaving carpets, placed on jewelry and ceramic dishes. The arabesque, having flourished in the East, conquered Europe as well. During the Renaissance, famous masters used it to create their masterpieces.
Features of Islamic Art
In the East, there were special conditions for the development of the ornament. The Koran forbade the depiction of animals and people. The Prophet Muhammad tried to protect the people from the possibility of turning to pagan beliefs with such a law. This rule is especially strictly observed to this day when decorating religious objects and buildings.
The emergence and development of the arabesque was a kind of response to such a ban. All the imagination, all the talent of the masters resulted in the creation of bizarre patterns that combine plant elements and calligraphy. The latter, by the way, has become a kind of replacement for icon painting. Quotations from sacred texts written in various calligraphic styles adorned books and walls of mosques. Often, in addition to them, arabesques were also drawn, with their curves and curls similar to beautiful and intricately curved letters.
Oriental arabesque as geometric art
The ban on the depiction of living beings led to the fact that the masters of the Islamic East turned to geometry. An arabesque is an ornament consisting of repeating elements intertwined and diverging in different directions. It is characterized by a clear rhythm, verified with mathematical precision. The arabesque became the embodiment of geometry in art.
A separate element was a whole and complete pattern. Each next gracefully intertwined with the previous one, repeating it and at the same time creating something new. The ornament could end at any moment - its integrity did not suffer from this. This property contributed to the widespread use of arabesques. walls, ceilings and vaults, fabrics, carpets, metal and earthenware.
Peculiarities
The Arabic arabesque, despite its geometric precision, was not boring. The mathematical approach did not deprive the ornament of artistic value. Arabesques contained both geometric and vegetal elements. Flowers, buds, stems and leaves intertwined, creating a solid carpet or leaving room for a new pattern. A distinctive feature of Islamic visual arts is the so-called fear of emptiness. The ornament covered the surface, leaving no room for the background. This feature reflects the religious ideas of Muslims about the "fabric of the Universe", endlessly continuing and without end.
Arabesque as a meditative image
The arabesque is a rhythmic and bewitching ornament. When looking at repeating elements, it is easy to get lost in this sea of intertwining patterns. Therefore, the arabesque is a wonderful tool for meditation. It scatters attention in a special way, making you forget about the bustle of the outside world and plunge into the inner world. The ornament was often part of the interior decoration of mosques. Here, his meditative function helped to focus on prayer, forgetting about earthly affairs.
Arabesque in Europe
During the Renaissance, Europe's ties with significantly increased. Together with many other knowledge from Muslim countries, the artistic achievements of the East also came here. The arabesque has become an element of the fine arts of Europe. It was used in his creations by Leonardo da Vinci. The master devoted a fair amount of time to drawing intricate patterns.
Ornaments similar to arabesques are also present on Raphael. Many masters of the Renaissance and later periods drew inspiration from the patterns that covered Muslim art.
An inexhaustible source of creativity
The arabesque (photos are given in the article) fascinates both contemporary artists and masters of the last century. Modernists at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries also turned to her. Arabesques were inspired by Aubrey Beardsley, who lived and worked at the end of the century before last. Geometry in the form of graceful ornaments was also loved by the Danish graphic artist M. S. Escher.
Today, the arabesque is a pattern that is still popular. Now, most often, a similar name is indicated. The geometric pattern is called "moreska". Ornaments reminiscent of medieval arabesques can be found on wallpaper and in the decoration of buildings, in the works of graphic artists and artisans. They inspire modern interior designers and fashion designers, jewelry makers and decorators.
Zentangle and doodling, which are fashionable today in the fine arts, remotely remind of Arab mosques and carpets dotted with ornaments. It is not difficult in our time to find fabrics that fascinate with their pattern. The bizarre interweaving of plant patterns, subject to a single rhythm, is nothing more than the same arabesque, rooted in the distant Middle Ages. We can safely say that now this ornament has become an integral part of world art, remaining at the same time a characteristic feature of the culture of Muslim peoples.
Arabesque
(French arabesque, from Italian arabesco - Arabic) - a genre of instrumental play. The term "A." in architecture and painting denotes complex patterns in Arabic. style. The term was first applied to music by R. Schumann, who called A. his play for piano. op. 18 (1839) in the form of a rondo with contrasting sections in decomp. rhythms. Since then, the term "A." repeatedly used by composers as a name. short play, ch. arr. for piano, as a rule, of an elegant character, with a patterned texture and richly ornamented, "lace" melodic. pattern. A. op. 4 A.K. Lyadova (1878), like Shumanovskaya, are designed in decomp. rhythms. C. Debussy gave the melodies of his A. (1888) whimsical figurative character. A. for the orchestra was written by E. Wolf-Ferrari.
Musical encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet encyclopedia, Soviet composer. Ed. Yu. V. Keldysha. 1973-1982 .
See what "Arabesque" is in other dictionaries:
ARABESQUE, arabesque, m., and (more often) ARABESQUE, arabesques, f. [fr. arabesque]. 1. Patterned ornament of stylized leaves, flowers, geometric shapes, etc. (originated in imitation of the Arabic style). 2. only pl. Collection of small pieces... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
- (French arabesque, literally Arabic), 1) a type of ornament that has developed in Muslim countries and is built on the principle of the endless development of repeating groups (rapports) of geometric, floral or epigraphic motifs, which ... ... Modern Encyclopedia
A piece of music, mainly for the piano, with a whimsical, richly ornamented melodic pattern. The authors of the arabesques: R. Schumann, A. K. Lyadov, K. Debussy and others ...
The European name for the ornament that has developed in the art of Muslim countries. It is built on the principle of endless development and rhythmic repetition of geometric, floral or epigraphic motifs. Differs in multiple rhythmic ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
ARABESCA, and, genus. pl. juice, female 1. A complex patterned ornament of geometric shapes, stylized leaves [original. in Arabic style] (special). 2. pl. Collection of small literary or musical works (books). | adj. arabesque, oh... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
Female sometimes arabesque male. more used pl., artist molded or written decoration, with a belt, a border, from broken and crooked patterned features, flowers, leaves, animals, etc. Arabic numerals, numerical signs, now accepted throughout Europe: 1, 2, 3, etc. ... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
- (French arabesque, lit. Arabic), the European name for the ornament that has developed in the art of Muslim countries. Built on the principle of endless development of repeating groups (see Rapport) geometric, vegetative or ... ... Art Encyclopedia
I is the European name for the ornament that has developed in the art of Muslim countries. It is built on the principle of endless development and rhythmic repetition of geometric, floral or epigraphic motifs. Differs in multiple rhythmic ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
