Aesthetic of appropriation

This study reveals how Christian Iberian rulers employed Umayyad spolia—such as basins and capitals—as a strategic visual tool to assert legitimacy, memory, and identity. By analyzing the reuse of these elements in buildings like San Isidoro de León and churches across Jaca, Valencia, Santander, and Tarragona (12th–13th centuries), it demonstrates that Christian territories adapted an 'Umayyad aesthetic of appropriation,' creating a shared visual language. The research adopts a comparative, interdisciplinary approach, tracing this phenomenon from Umayyad al-Andalus to later Taifa, Almoravid, Almohad, and Christian kingdoms, highlighting its continuity and cultural significance.

Ocón, J. E. (2024). Aesthetic of appropriation. The Visual Culture of Al-Andalus in the Christian Kingdoms of Iberia, 81–100. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003489047-6