Celtic art in Pagan and Christian timesAllen, J. Romilly (John Romilly)
Philosophy
Celtic art in Pagan and Christian times
Allen, J. Romilly (John Romilly)
Art, Celtic
We have already mentioned most of the figure-subjects to be found in
the Hiberno-Saxon illuminated MSS., and on the Irish ecclesiastical
metalwork. It remains therefore only now to take the sculptured
monuments into consideration.
It was in Ireland alone that a recognised cycle of scriptural figure
subjects was adopted for the decoration of the crosses and that in
nearly all cases the ornament was relegated to a subordinate position.
In Scotland and Wales, on the contrary, Scripture scenes are seldom
represented on the sculptured monuments; in Cornwall the only figure
subject which occurs on the crosses is the Crucifixion; and in the
Isle of Man the figure-subjects are mostly taken from the Pagan Norse
mythology.
The following table shows the Scriptural subjects on the sculptured
monuments of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall, and the frequency
with which they occur:—
------------------------------+--------+---------+------+---------
|Ireland.|Scotland.|Wales.|Cornwall.
------------------------------+--------+---------+------+---------
_Old Testament_— | | | |
Adam and Eve | 15 | 2 | — | —
Noah in the Ark | 2 | 1 | — | —
Sacrifice of Isaac | 9 | 1 | — | —
Three Children in Furnace | 4 | — | — | —
Daniel in Den of Lions | 8 | 9 | — | —
David and Harp | 6 | 2 | — | —
David and Lion | 6 | 2 | — | —
David and Goliath | 3 | — | — | —
Jonah and Whale | — | 3 | — | —
Ascent of Elijah | — | 1 | — | —
------------------------------+--------+---------+------+---------
_New Testament_— | | | |
Virgin and Child | — | 5 | — | —
Adoration of Magi | 2 | 1 | — | —
Flight into Egypt | 1 | — | — | —
Baptism of Christ | 2 | — | — | —
Miracle of Loaves and Fishes| 4 | 1 | — | —
Raising of Lazarus | — | 1 | — | —
Crucifixion | 16 | 5 | 3 | 40
Christ in Glory | 5 | 1 | — | —
Last Judgment | 1 | — | — | —
Annunciation | — | — | 1 | —
Christ seized by the Jews | 2 | — | 1 | —
Twelve Apostles | 1 | — | — | —
Agnus Dei | 2 | — | — | —
Dextera Dei | 2 | — | — | —
------------------------------+--------+---------+------+---------
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