Gaston Wiet Et Les Arts de l'Islam

Gaston Wiet (1887-1971), an outstanding historian of medieval Islam, was also a prominent figure of the French scientific presence in Egypt. A perfect Arabist, he was interested in many aspects of Egyptian history and culture. His work at the head of the Arab Museum in Cairo (now the Museum of Islamic Art) between 1926 and 1951 was decisive for the enrichment, publication and outreach of its collections, and led him to become one of the best connoisseurs of Islamic art of the first half of the 20th century. Moreover, his membership of the Comite de conservation des monuments de l'art arabe further enhanced his interest in the architecture from the Islamic period. This book, copublished with the Louvre Museum, and the support of the Museum of Islamic Art (Cairo), focuses on Gaston Wiet's decisive contribution to the study of Islamic art by addressing, beyond his career and his personality, his work at the Arab Museum and the Comite, as well as the wide extent of his research and curiosity, from Persian art and textiles to the productions of modern Egypt, while also underlining his particular passion for epigraphy. This volume brings together the contributions of French and Egyptian specialists and intends to recall, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his passing, the essential contribution of this eminent scholar and friend of Egypt.