From Medieval Sacred Art to Modern Photography

Abstract In this study of image-making, it is argued that from the Middle Ages to the Modern period in Lebanon, coexistence between Christians and Muslims, who maintained contact alternately as a minority or dominant culture, was defined by fundamental ideas about sacred art, namely, the embodiment and depiction of the divine. The central premise holds that in Christianity paintings of a religious character are of importance because they reaffirm belief in the doctrine of incarnation, and thus Christ’s humanity. In Islam, by comparison, such art is idolatrous and deserving of censure. The opposite is asserted: God is invisible, and, therefore, paintings of the divine are impermissible. However, denunciation by Islamic scholars was not absolute; there was no disapproval if imagery did not violate Qur’anic proscription against idol-worship. A more nuanced discussion of the Arab literature demonstrates not only Muslim disavowal and episodes of iconoclasm, but also fascination with and commentary on Christian art. Such views informed Christian-Muslim debate over the value and validity of image-making in Modern-era Lebanon, which was further aroused by European developments in the science of optics, based partly on the works of Arab scientists. The advent of photography offered new ways of seeing the world, and discussion among Lebanese Muslim scholars focused on the efficacy and malevolence of optical technology in Arab society and culture. Outright condemnation of image-making was tempered by views condoning certain artistic practices.