Celtic and Early Irish Art

Catalog description

This course traces Celtic art from its sources and history on the European continent (1200 BCE to the first century CE) to its migration to the British Isles and its subsequent transformation as it interacts with native cultures there, particularly the Irish culture. It examines native Irish art from the stone circles and passage graves of 3000-2000 BCE to the introduction of the Celtic style and the golden age of Ireland's conversion to Christianity. Rich new art forms such as illustrated bibles, jeweled chalices and reliquaries, high crosses, and the introduction of monastic and ecclesiastical architecture will be discussed. The course also considers the medieval revivals in the 19th and 20th centuries and includes a first-hand examination of Fairfield University's facsimile of the Book of Kells. This course is linked with ENGL 1420X and fulfills the requirements for the interdisciplinary signature element within the Magis Core.