SubscribeStone Laid For Louvre Islamic Art Gallery
From those champions of the faith at the Associated Press:
First stone laid for Louvre’s Islamic art gallery
By GAELLE FAURE Associated Press Writer
07/16/2008PARIS—The first stone was laid Wednesday at the Louvre’s new Arts of Islam gallery, the first major modern architectural addition to the museum since its famed glass pyramid was built in the 1980s.
President Nicolas Sarkozy and a major donor for the project, Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, took part in the ceremony to start work on the addition, which includes a shimmering glass wave hanging over a 19th-century courtyard. The project’s architects say it resembles a cloud or a flying carpet.
The wing, expected to open in 2010, will display a vast collection of Islamic art from the seventh to the 19th century.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Sarkozy spoke of the need for dialogue between the West and the Middle East.
This gallery “will be the chance for all French and foreign visitors to the Louvre to see that Islam is progress, science, refinement, modernity, and that fanaticism in the name of Islam is to flout Islam,” Sarkozy said.
The Louvre made a historic partnership with a country in the Muslim world when it announced its project for a Louvre Abu Dhabi museum in the United Arab Emirates last year.
“With Abu Dhabi, French museums are exporting, and here today it is Islam that is coming to the heart of France,” French Culture Minister Christine Albanel said.
The gallery’s construction, which will cost $100 million, will be led by French architect Rudy Ricciotti and Italian colleague Mario Bellini…
The Saudi donor, who is the grandson of the country’s founding king, is one of the richest men in the world, ranked 13th by Forbes in 2007. His investments span the globe. In France, he invested in Disneyland Paris and owns the capital’s historic Georges V hotel. In 2005, he donated the initial $26.9 million toward the Louvre’s latest project, making him the single largest individual benefactor.
Other major contributors include the oil company Total and Lafarge, the world’s largest cement maker, which both have interests in Saudi Arabia. The French state is supplying $31.8 million, while smaller amounts will come from Oman, Kuwait and Azerbaijan.
Will there be any burning cars? How about cartoons of Mohammed?
And when will the Louvre open its Christian Art gallery?
The Louvre made a historic partnership with a country in the Muslim world when it announced its project for a Louvre Abu Dhabi museum in the United Arab Emirates last year.
Abu Dhabi? Why of all the places in the world would they choose to set up a branch of the Louvre there?
Alas, the French have always valued money above everything.
This gallery “will be the chance for all French and foreign visitors to the Louvre to see that Islam is progress, science, refinement, modernity, and that fanaticism in the name of Islam is to flout Islam,” Sarkozy said.
Mr. Sarkozy (who knows better), must be talking about some other “Islam.”
Not the one the most of us know on this planet.
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13 Responses to “Stone Laid For Louvre Islamic Art Gallery”
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July 17th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
And when will the Louvre open its Christian Art gallery?
I’m going to have to call you out on that one. Most art in the Louvre is Christian based. From the statue of David (which i guess is more Jewish than Christian), to the numerous “Madonna and Child” and biblical scenes, art of a European nature was based largely on the bible. Especially during the Renaissance when many paintings where commissioned to show one’s “holiness” and dedication to the church.
Still, I have my objections on how we have to go out of our way to constantly show tolerance for the most intolerant group of people on the planet.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
So where is the “Christian Art” gallery at the Louvre? Show me a link to a diagram.
The “David” you mentioned is probably in the Greek and Roman “Classical” gallery. The “Madonnas And Child” portraits are in the “Middle Ages” and “Renaissance” galleries.
There is surely “Islamic art” in the Louvre’s “Oriental” or “Middle East” galleries.
So why the need for a separate and distinct gallery for “Islamic art”?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
In fact, here is what the Louvre says about its “departments”:
It looks to me like “Islamic Art” is already well represented.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Your right, they haven’t dedicated space for Christian art. I was just saying a lot of the art in the Louvre is of a Christian nature. I too have my objections for showing preferential treatment by labeling something “Islamic.” Unless it is pictures of the Koran, which would be haraam, or bauqra clad women, it wouldn’t be as much Islamic as it would be Middle Eastern. My question would be what type of art would be permitted to be “Islamic?” Aren’t pictures of religious people and objects banned by Islam?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Oh, maybe we should ask the Imam!
July 17th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
BBTT, I was thinking the same thing. It’s pretty hard to classify a giant, wall-size painting of the Last Supper as anything but Christian.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
“BBTT, I was thinking the same thing. It’s pretty hard to classify a giant, wall-size painting of the Last Supper as anything but Christian.”
Which, of course, is not at the Louvre. But I think some may be missing my point, which was probably not clearly enough expressed.
As far as I know there are no galleries at the Louvre that are dedicated to the artistic output of a religion, qua religion — except for Islam.
There are no Christian, Buddhist, Shinto, Wiccan art galleries there.
Why should they get special treatment and have their art grouped solely upon their religion, rather than by regional or period?
Especially when their own precepts prevent them from representing animate beings — which leaves them with various “designs.”
July 17th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Why should they get special treatment and have their art grouped solely upon their religion, rather than by regional or period??
Perhaps the other religions wont destroy your museum after they burn your cities, kill your citzens, and erase your society and national recognition.
Violence breeds very real fear in the meek.
July 17th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
How the French heads must spin. They ban two women from gaining citizen ship claiming the women aren’t secular enough and then turn around and give government funding to a religious art wing. Will they allow paintings of women in head scarfs but not allow women who actually wear head scarfs to see them? This is the strange mixture you get with overzealous PC secularism with a justified fear of religion based retaliation.
July 17th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Most European art from Charlemagne to the Protestant Reformation (many later Dutch works were secular) were Christian simply because financing for the work came from the religious sources or from wealthy patrons who wanted themselves painted alongside saints (Sistine Chapel, triptychs, altar pieces, church facades).
I am not against the Islamic wing of the museum as long as it does not simply propagandize the religion. No other part of the museum calls its Western portions “Christian,” so why does all art from Islamic countries need to be called “Islamic?” Certainly not ever anthropomorphic or geometric work of art (rugs, lamps, facades) is religious in nature. So why identify the group of work based on religion, instead of period or country?
It sounds like French is financing the wing to put a positive spin on Islam, but that shouldn’t be the focus on an art exhibit…
Still, it could be worse. Some Muslims are opposed to any form of art or music and believe it comes from “Satan.” If this wing can in any way bolster the more liberal Muslims then it cannot be such a bad thing. But that is just my optimism talking….
July 17th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
David hit the absolute absurdity of this move on the head - so it obviously is to appease, appeal or is a bribe - and as pointed out - since it is not done with any other religion - simply wrong.
It is a shame that the World is coming to this - I have a feeling that things are going to get much worse before people wake up and start fixing what went wrong.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
It’s France for crumb sakes . They have a history of dropping trousers and backing into things .
July 18th, 2008 at 2:25 am
I wonder if the French realize that some of the Islamic art may actually offend the religion of perpetual violence which would probably cause the Islamic terrorists to attemp to destroy the Louvre, either by bombs, planes, or any other means their little brains can come up with.