Poetic Joust

Poetic Joust

I believe I hadn’t been back to the rooms of Islamic Art since they were inaugurated in the Cour Visconti, ten years ago already, under an elegant veil of glass and metal (Denon, 185-187). This is a privileged place in the museum, somber, silent, restful. Perhaps it’s the miracle of modern architecture (but the grand sculpture courtyards in the Richelieu wing don’t give the same feeling of peace). On the lower floor, a large ring of benches allows visitors to gather their thoughts or even doze off. I know of no other place in the Louvre that is as welcoming. People take off their shoes, settle in for a nap. Not far from them are these delicate “poetic joustings” from Isfahan, an entire artform that speaks not of war but of love, a battle to compose a work of peace.