Visual Identity in Maqamat al-Hariri: Between Foreign Influences and the Islamic Spirit

Abstract

This study investigates the defining characteristics of the Arab school of painting as manifested in the miniatures of Al-Hariri's Maqamat, examining the dialectical relationship between an authentic visual identity and incoming external influences. The study is predicated on the hypothesis that artistic identity is a holistic structure and a prevailing spirit, rather than a mere accumulation of fragmented elements; it manifests in the aesthetic response of the recipient within their specific cultural milieu. Al-Hariri’s Maqamat was specifically selected because it represents the pinnacle of interdisciplinary fusion between the literary and visual arts, yielding a visual richness that far surpasses that of contemporary scientific manuscripts.

Adopting an analytical approach, the study examines a selected corpus of miniatures dating from 1222 to 1334 CE (618–734 AH) to trace and analyze foreign cultural influences. It illustrates how these elements were synthesized into the cohesive visual unity of the Arab school, which relies on analogy and flattening as deliberate aesthetic choices. This integration preserved an authentic Islamic character, resisting cultural alienation or total assimilation into imported paradigms. The study concludes that the manuscript relies on a conscious duality between analogy and flattening, maintaining its distinctive identity despite the incorporation of foreign elements.