Home » Mind & Soul » Church History » Artistic Contributions of the Celtic Church,

Artistic Contributions of the Celtic Church,

© Michelle Powell-Smith

The early years of the Middle Ages were, in much of Europe, a time lacking in culture, literacy and art. There were, however, small centers of cultural and literary greatness even in this time. The monasteries and abbeys of Ireland, Scotland and Northern England are responsible for the preservation of the culture of early medieval Europe. These monasteries produced works of art that remain astonishingly beautiful even today, as well as historical documents that provide rare insight into the life and times of the early Middle Ages.

A number of manuscripts remain in existence today, including the well known Lindisfarne Gospel and Book of Kells. The Lindisfarne Gospel was produced at Lindisfarne in Northumbria around 698, in honor of St. Cuthbert, the Bishop of Lindisfarne (d. 687). It is considered a Hiberno-Saxon manuscript, and stylistically it reveals the fusion of Irish, Anglo-Saxon and Byzantine styles of manuscript ornamentation. The Book of Kells was completed in 800 A.D. in a monastery off the coast of Scotland. The Book of Kells is the most luxuriously illuminated manuscript to survive from the early Middle Ages. Both the Lindisfarne Gospel and the Book of Kells are gospels; that is to say, they include the text of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, along with introductory materials and other prayers. The manuscript contains 680 pages, of which only 2 are not illuminated. There are a number of other manuscripts and manuscript fragments from this period; however, these are two of the most widely recognized Celtic manuscripts.

Celtic manuscript illumination is remarkable in its beauty. It is typically strongly linear and makes use of Celtic knotwork patterns, zoomorphic designs, and bold color. The Book of Kells is particularly remarkable for the skill of its illuminators. The drawing is consistently without flaw, even under extreme magnification.

For more information and for images of these remarkable books, please check the following links: http://www.bookofkells.ie/ http://www.esotericart.com/fringe/art/sy... http://portico.bl.uk/diglib/treasures/li... http://www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_g...

Next week's article will delve into the historical and literary contributions of these institutions

The copyright of the article Artistic Contributions of the Celtic Church, in Church History is owned by . Permission to republish Artistic Contributions of the Celtic Church, in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.