Irish art can be traced back to the Neolithic Age.
The tombs left in the Neolithic Age are divided into three categories: ① Courtyard conical stone piles, which are characterized by a covered stone pile corridor. The entire tomb group is located in a group of long stone piles. Some are more than 45 meters long and were found in Northern Ireland; ② Passage tombs are the most important type in Irish prehistory. They are characterized by being concentrated on the top of the mountain. The cross-shaped stones in the tombs are decorated with a large number of abstract geometric patterns carved on the surface. Boyne The Newgrange Cemetery among the tombs is the most beautiful megalithic cemetery in Europe; ③ The wedge-shaped corridor is smaller in scale.
In the early Bronze Age, Ireland became an important metal manufacturing center, exporting metal products to Britain and Northern Europe, and exporting crescent-shaped gold pieces that could be worn around the neck or chest to France and the Baltic region. The sun plate made of slices is engraved with decorative patterns. The exquisite metal products of this period, such as gold earrings, brooches, rings and bracelets, are very similar to prehistoric Irish culture and early Greek Mycenean culture.
The art of Ireland's early Iron Age is mainly represented by metal products. The quantity preserved is not large, but the quality is very high. It occupies a particularly important position in the history of Irish art. The origins of later Christian artistic styles can partly be traced here. Bronze was the dominant metal product during this period. The "horn pattern" is one of the basic patterns in early Irish art.
From the 5th to the 10th century, Irish art made outstanding achievements in manuscript decoration, stone carving and metalworking. In Ireland, the use of calligraphy arose at the same time as Christianity. Christian culture blended Roman culture with Celtic and German traditions. The Irish clergy developed a clear and beautiful Celtic semi-Uncial calligraphy, which can be found in hymn manuscripts from the late 6th century, in which the decoration of Irish manuscripts can be seen, characterized by the use of ink The first letter was enlarged in red and decorated with patterns, a method that continued into the 8th century until the first letter occupied the entire page. The most important center for the study of Irish decoration is Trinity College, Dublin. The college houses a Book of Darrow, a gospel written after the mid-17th century and the earliest work in the local Irish style in the early Christian period. Its full-page decoration is a mixture of Celtic patterns (whorls and horns), Anglo-Saxon patterns and Mediterranean patterns. In addition, Trinity College also has the Book of Kells, the Book of Dima and the Book of Alma.
The monuments that survive in Ireland are not churches but carved circular crosses. Its arms extend outside the ring, its pole stands on a pyramidal or conical base, and the cross and base surfaces are carved with decorative reliefs. The earliest crosses from the 7th century are on the Inishowan peninsula, and the most important group of them is at Carndonagh. The best monumental center of the 8th century is at Ahenni-Kilkilen, characterized by striking decorative reliefs and horn-spiraled panels on rings, poles and apexes. In the Barro Valley, a group of monuments from the 9th century is characterized by ringed tops: the front pillars of the cross have carved panels with biblical scenes, simple and stylized images. Clonmacnoice was probably the most important center of early Irish stone sculpture. In addition to the crosses, there are many tombstones. These tombstones are of exquisite design. The 10th century was the peak of its development. The most complete one is the one preserved at Muradach, Use high relief to depict scenes such as the Last Judgment and the Passion of Christ.
Early Irish buildings were all made of wood and therefore have not survived. It was not until the 10th to 12th centuries that stone buildings became common. Although there are many churches, they are all small. The best example is the finned stone chapel of Gallerus, shaped like an inverted ship without mortar. Of note is the monastery built on the rocky hill of Skellin Michel in the Atlantic Ocean. The best example of an early stone church is St. Kevin's. The monastery's architecture is characterized by its round tower, a bell tower and a refuge for the monks, dating from the late 9th to the late 12th century.
Elaborate decoration was first used in Irish churches in the early 12th century. Cormac Church was the first to introduce the Romanesque style to Ireland; at Cashel the Romanesque style was also absorbed into sculpture.
Romanesque zigzags, human heads, animal prints and local motifs intermingled in Normandy, as exemplified by the convent of Clonmacnoice. The most characteristic carvings in the Irish Romanesque style are the entrances to Kirchen and Clonfit, with low-relief line drawings that are beautifully decorated and wild.
The Anglo-Norman invasion interrupted the tradition of Irish art, and the ancient Celtic traditions were eclipsed by continental styles. In the following centuries only architecture and sculpture are worth mentioning. Continental Cistercian religious architecture was taking root in Ireland at this time, and it is impressive at sites such as Melifon, where the sculptures are a mixture of Irish, French or English traditions. In the 13th century, the Anglo-Normans built early English-style Catholic churches. The best examples are in Cashel, Kilkenny and other places. The main center of Irish-Norman architecture and sculpture is in Trim, where there are castle ruins, a Catholic church, monastic ruins and statue tombs. Buildings that retain Irish heritage are the Franciscan friary and tower.
In Ireland, the Renaissance came very late. It first appeared in the form of interior decoration, fireplaces and other small pieces of English Tudor style. However, most of it was destroyed by the war, and only one Elizabethan manor remained. The main residence is Ormond Castle. It was not until the Duke of Ormond redesigned Dublin in the late 17th century that the full effects of the Renaissance were revealed. During the period of great development of civil and public buildings, there was little achievement in painting and sculpture, while minor arts such as book binding and glass inlay flourished in the second half of the 18th century. At this time, the arts center was in Dublin, and representative works in the architecture include the Bank of Ireland, Kilmainham Hospital, Trinity College Library, Tyrone Building, Clanwilliam Building, Powerscourt Building and Leinster Building ( Today’s Parliament Building). The court buildings of Carlow and the market buildings of Dunlawen are also famous in the 18th or early 19th century. Irish architecture declined in the late 19th century. Famous buildings in Dublin include Trinity College Museum and Kildare Street Club. The outstanding printmakers of the early 19th century, J. Malton and G. Petris, produced some excellent etchings depicting Dublin. In Ireland, painting and sculpture occupy only a small position in art, and painting has a literary character, which can be seen from the works of W. Orpen, H. Horne and D. O'Neill. Artists with different characteristics and originality after World War II include P. Scott, H. Herron, O. Kelly and I. Stewart.
Irish literature Irish literature (Gaelic: Litríocht amp; Eacute; ireanneach; English: Irishliterature) refers to literary works produced in Ireland or created by Irish people. Ireland is a small country in terms of both area and population, but it has made a huge contribution to world literature that is highly disproportionate to its size. Irish literature written in English can be considered a branch of English literature. In addition, literature exists in Ireland written in Gaelic and other ancient Celtic languages. The development of Gaelic literature was mainly limited to the fields of poetry and myths and legends.
Ireland's unique historical and cultural heritage makes there a very significant difference between Irish English literature and literature in other English-speaking countries. Irish writers writing in English inherited many characteristics from the ancient Celtic culture, including the exploration of the mysteries of nature, a narrative style containing exaggeration and absurdity, and an ironic creative attitude, etc. The two languages, Gaelic and English, influenced each other to form an Irish English that is unique in both grammar and style, and most Irish English writers use this dialect-like English to write.