Write a five page paper, including a bibliography, investigating the history of Iconoclasm, including the current destruction of religious and historic artworks by Islamic fundamentalist groups. According to Mark Getlein, writing the 10th edition of Living with Art, “Images have played an important role in almost every religion in the world.” Through the ages much of the world’s religious art has been transferred from places of religion to museums and are now looked upon as cultural and historical icons. Does the desire to preserve these icons become a form of worship? If so, is worshiping works of art not the same as worshiping what they represent? That is the iconoclastic point of view.
