This essay by Nasser Rabbat reflects on the persistence and precarity of writing art history in times of war, specifically focusing on the field of Islamic art and architectural history. Rabbat draws a parallel to Gabriel García Márquez's novel *Love in the Time of Cholera* to frame his discussion, arguing that war is not a passing crisis but a persistent condition for the Islamic world. He traces how colonial conquests, postcolonial conflicts, and the ongoing Israeli genocide against Gaza have shaped the formation and theoretical orientation of Islamic art history as a Western scholarly endeavor, beginning with Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798 and continuing through the "War on Terror."
Why it matters: This article challenges the conventional, apolitical narrative of Islamic art history by exposing its deep entanglement with war, colonialism, and appropriation. Rabbat's analysis forces readers to reconsider how objects like the "Griffin of Pisa" and the Baptistère de Saint Louis were conscripted into Western narratives of power and prestige, rather than being neutral artifacts of aesthetic value. By linking historical scholarship to contemporary violence in Gaza, the essay underscores the urgent need for decolonizing art history and acknowledging the political contexts that have shaped the discipline.