It goes without saying that Irish Christian art during the Dark Ages not only has a very deep history but it is also very broad. In fact, it encompasses a wide variety of materials that interestingly enough date back to the very first known sighting of Christian art in general. Today if you were to conduct a search for the term “Irish Christian Art during the Dark Ages” you are sure to find lots of information regarding this particular topic/subject. Sadly however, not all the information you’ll get is accurate especially when it comes to what exactly constitutes Irish Christian Art during this particular period (the Dark Ages). One of the reasons why this is so is the term itself; why you ask? Well, it was widely used to denote the period between 500 A.D and 1000 A.D.
As such, many who venture out to matters Irish Christian Art often get it wrong when it comes to what art falls during this period (the Dark Ages). It is with this that we’ve opted to share with you this extensive post on matters Irish Christian Art, in particular, Irish Christian Art during the Dark Ages. For this particular post given the vast wealth of information on this particular subject/topic, we’ll focus mainly on a few centuries that were part of the Dark Ages. These centuries are; the seventh, eighth and ninth centuries. With knowledge from this centuries you’ll have a better understanding and knowledge of Irish Christian Art during the Dark Ages. Even better, you’ll be able to easily tell what exactly constitutes Irish Christian Art during this period and what doesn’t.
What Is Irish Christian Art?
Before getting deep into the subject that is Irish Christian art during the Dark Ages it is best that we first look at what Irish Christian Art really is. So what is it? Well, for starters it’s great art. To be more specific, it is Christian art created by Monks during early Christianity. While many Monks had very predefined Christian duties which included attending six to eight Christian services a day as well as doing other chores like farming, ploughing and milking, some were really blessed with very good artistic skills and went on to create some thought provoking art pieces that we now know as Irish Christian Art.
While still on matters Irish Christian Art in general, it is good to point out the fact that it is so many things to so many people. Interestingly enough, this was the case back then and still is even today. To some, this particular art, regardless of the period, is very allusive while to some it is partly figurative and abstract. Others on the other hand, especially early Irish Christians, view it as subtly symbolic in style or playful and sophisticated due to its decorative elements. The difference in view is also evident when it comes to what the art represents or stands for. Too many, this Art majorly reflected contemporary European traditions especially when it comes to maters Christianity and the Irish Christian.
