I got a lot of confused questions yesterday while unboxing my deluxe The Book of Kells by Bernard Meehan. I thought that everybody was familiar with the Book of Kells, but I see that's not true, so let me explain what the Book of Kells is and why it's so special.
Category: Celtic and Irish Art
The Book of Kells – Day One of Medieval Manuscripts
It only seems appropriate to start off 31 Days of Medieval Manuscripts with the Book of Kells, as it is arguably the world's most iconic illuminated manuscript. The Book of Kells is a gospel book written and decorated by British or Irish monks in the first century AD (most likely c. 800 AD). It is named… Continue reading The Book of Kells – Day One of Medieval Manuscripts
An Unusual Take on Gargoyles
By Colin (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons I recently finished reading Thomas Cahill's How the Irish Saved Civilization, The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe. My prior training in medieval art history had addressed the importance of the medieval Irish and Scottish… Continue reading An Unusual Take on Gargoyles
A Guide to Medieval Irish Art
Most people are familiar with Irish art through the famous Book of Kells and through Celtic Revival motifs popular today. In this article, you’ll learn about medieval Irish artistic motifs, the types of art most likely to survive from the period, key historical context (including why Irish and Celtic aren’t synonyms), and more.
The Tara Brooch: Gold and Jewels from the Ancient Irish Past | HeadStuff
My second article has been published on headstuff.org. Continuing my new-found interest in Celtic and Irish art, I have written about the Tara Brooch. The Tara Brooch: Gold and Jewels from the Ancient Irish Past | HeadStuff.
Art O’Murnaghan and the Book of Resurrection
As I'm pretty sure I've mentioned several times before, I am a big fan of medieval illuminated manuscripts. I've always found it a bit sad that the tradition has very little place in the modern world, which is why I was quite intrigued to read about this manuscript in a book about Celtic art. I've… Continue reading Art O’Murnaghan and the Book of Resurrection
A Scholarly Skater 