A Grammar of Muqarnas: Drawings of the Alhambra by Jones and Goury (1834-1845)

Abstract

<p>The muqarnas of the Nasrid Alhambra stand out as one of the most singular architectural episodes of Medieval Islamic art due to their sophisticated three-dimensional construction, whose layout remains little known. In 1834 and 1837, the architects Owen Jones and Jules Goury visited the monument in Granada and accomplished surprising drawings thereof, later published towards 1842-1845 as chromolithograph prints, which represented its architecture, ornaments, and muqarnas in a systematic way for the first time. In order to value their pioneering drawings, the historical data is briefly reviewed and several previous drawings of the Alhambra are cited. After consideration of a few questions regarding the process of data collection in Granada, a comparative analysis is presented of a cornice, a capital, an arch and a pendentive, with photos and computer-aided drawings. Thus, the principles or elementary grammar of muqarnas groupings described by these architects are highlighted, as well as the precision of their images, which resulted crucial to integrate and disseminate the architectural legacy of the Alhambra in the contemporary Western culture.</p>

The Pavilions at the Alhambra’s Court of the Lions: Graphic Analysis of Muqarnas

“…The pavilions were symmetrically drawn, with hipped roofs different from those drawn by Villanueva; the muqarnas are accurate and very detailed. In addition, Jones and Goury yielded many other drawings of muqarnas on cornices, arches, pendentives or domes, proving a deep knowledge and ability to represent them [17]. Many other draftsmen accomplished outstanding views from the Court of the Lions in the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, similarly to what occurred with drawings from other Arab landmarks such as the Mosque of Cordoba [16].…”

“…The pavilions were symmetrically drawn, with hipped roofs different from those drawn by Villanueva; the muqarnas are accurate and very detailed. In addition, Jones and Goury yielded many other drawings of muqarnas on cornices, arches, pendentives or domes, proving a deep knowledge and ability to represent them [17]. In 1859 and 1862, Nicomedes de Mendívil y Quadra produced splendid drawings from a pavilion, both preserved at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid.…”

“…A review of Owen Jones and Jules Goury's muqarnas drawings has been undertaken, as they propose an elementary grammar on their grouping [17] starting from three flat Figures A, B and C, two triangles and a rectangle, that make up the base for seven key muqarnas pieces, A1, A2, A3, B, C1, C2 and C3, which allow various muqarnas compositions (Figure 8a).…”

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba: Graphic Analysis of Interior Perspectives by Girault de Prangey around 1839

“…This suggests that they could have been drawn on a true scale. That is what Owen Jones and other architects who drew ornaments of the Alhambra in those years would have done, using tracing papers, many of them preserved in the Patronato de la Alhambra archives [69]. A camera lucida could also be used to draw capitals, pilasters and other details, although this is a mere hypothesis.…”

Cultural Heritage and Natural Disasters

“…The pavilions were symmetrically drawn, with hipped roofs different from those drawn by Villanueva; the muqarnas are accurate and very detailed. In addition, Jones and Goury yielded many other drawings of muqarnas on cornices, arches, pendentives or domes, proving a deep knowledge and ability to represent them[17].…”