The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners

‘The Human Figure in Islamic Art’ focuses on a rarely elucidated subject in the field of Islamic art: human depictions. The book presents 75 masterpieces from the David Collection, from utility ware to miniature paintings that feature human figures in various ways.

The works are divided into nine themes, including The Religious Sphere, The Prince and the Court, Depictions of Women, and Depictions of Everyday Life. Each theme is introduced by a short essay, and the 75 works of art are analyzed in depth. Three introductory articles focus on key aspects of how the human figure has been rendered in the Islamic world right to the present time.

The book’s main authors are the David Collection’s director, Kjeld von Folsach, and its senior curator, Joachim Meyer. The book also features an article by Professor Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen of the University of Copenhagen.