The Book of Kells

Word and Image in the Book of Kells
Heather Pulliam. Four Courts Press, 2006.
745.670941822

Dr. Pulliam reinforces Francoise Henry's comment that perhaps the decorated initials related "to the text, as music does to works of a song" in this work about the relationship between the word and image. This book suggests "that much of the manuscript's decoration is self-referential and articulates the manner in which the gospel text functioned as an instrument of salvation," as stated on the book jacket.


Irish Art During the Viking Invasions (800 - 1020AD)
Fracoise Henry. Cornell University Press, 1967
709.415 Henr

Francoise Henry was Head of the Department of History of Painting at University College, Dublin, as well as being an accomplished archaeologist. This series is considered the height of her publishing career.

The middle volume in the Irish Art series, this volume reviews the history of the period, explores the subjects of architecture, metalwork and carvings. Of special interest is the chapter on the decoration of manuscripts, and the many fine black and white photos. The relativity between these various art forms is explored, and the continuity is established between preceding and following time periods.


The Earliest Irish and English Book Arts, Visual and Poetic Forms Before A.D. 1000
Robert D. Stevick. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994
745.67 Stev

Scholarly view of the poetry, mathematics and illumination in the Early Middle Ages.

This scholarly volume of the book arts before 1000, discusses such books as Andreas, the Book of Mulling, the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Book of Durrow and others. This review of the mathematical proportions of illuminated pages and narrative poems in English and Irish manuscripts from the 7th through 10th centuries shows that Anglo-Saxon poets constructed formal plans for long poems that embodied the proportions to be found in a geometrically derived page design. A brief look will convince the reader of the complexity of the art forms already mentioned, as well as an entry into medieval mathematics and architecture.


Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Painting; Book Illumination in the British Isles 600 - 800
Carl Nordenfalk. George Braziller, 1977
745.67 Nord

This book, full of many plates, puts the Book of Kells into perspective relative to the illuminated manuscripts that came before it.

This book devotes eighteen pages to the Book of Kells, and places it in context with the books which came before it: The Durham Gospel, the Book of Durrow, the Book of Lindisfarne, the Trier Gospels and others. Plates are shown for every book explored, and these give a wonderful visual progression of book illumination through the centuries.




The Book of Kells; an Illustrated Introduction to the Manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin
Bernard Mehan. Thames & Hudson, c1994
745.67 Meeh

A comprehensive, approachable yet in-depth treatment in a single volume.

Written by the Keeper of Manuscripts at trinity College Dublin, this book provides a scholars introduction to the Book of Kells. Said THE IRISH TIMES, "By far the best modern short account of one of the great monuments of early Irish civilization.required reading for anyone interested in the subject." Many copies of this title are available at the Library, to facilitate group study and discussion.


The Book of Kells
Ben Mackworth-Praed. Harper, 1993
745.67 Book

A quick, visual introduction.

This small volume includes a brief introduction followed by the plates of the major decorated pages and a description of each. This provides a quick overview of the most stunning pages of the book; reading this book alone would deprive one of the pleasures and subtleties of learning more of the mysteries of the impressive work of art that is the Book of Kells.


Exploring The Book of Kells
George Otto Simms. O'Brien Press, 1988
745.67 Simm

A little about the book; a little about the times for all ages.

A brief revelation of the mysteries of the Book of Kells can be found here, with a look at the times, places, and people involved with the creation of this extraordinary book. Visit two monasteries, meet Columba, learn more about the how, why and when from another world-renowned authority on the book.


The Book of Kells; Reproductions from the Manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin
Francoise Henry
Knopf, 1977

The book to which people referred BEFORE there was a full facsimile version.

Until the publication of the fully colored facsimile edition, this was the definitive book about the Book of Kells and the one with the most colored illustrations, with 93 full pages and 6 half pages reproduced complete and 30 plates of enlarged details. Francoise Henry's commentary and the presence of the large number of colored plates in almost full facsimile size make this a standout.


The Book of Kells and the Art of Illumination
National Gallery of Australia, 2000

Exhibit catalog from Australia - the last time the Book of Kells will ever be loaned.

The exhibit catalog from the 2000 exhibition of the Book of Kells (The Gospel of St. Mark) in Australia, the last time the book has been or will be loaned from Trinity College. Along with the Book of Kells, numerous other manuscripts were a part of the exhibit. Text in the exhibit catalog describes Celtic Ireland and offers eloquent chapters written by Margaret Manion, Emeritus Professor of the University of Melbourne, and Dr. Bernard Meehan.


The Book of Kells; Selected Plates in Full Color
Blanche Cirker, ed. Dover, 1982

Every page that is visually distinctive in one volume, but still no substitute for the experience of seeing the facsimile edition itself.

The book states, "While clearly subject to international influence (Celtic, British, Norman; possibly Italian, Byzantine and Coptic), the Book of Kells' painters and scribes illuminated their work with a purely idiosyncratic beauty." This set of plates shows those characteristics; it was reproduced from the facsimile edition.


The Book of Kells
Trinity College Library, Dublin
DVD-ROM 745.67 Book

This visually stunning DVD ROM allows viewers to explore the wonders of the Book of Kells through the 14 featured pages which have audio and visual descriptions. Information on history, art of the period, techniques, themes and materials are featured. Themes can be explored by searching for types of illuminations and decorated initials.


The Book of Kells: The Work of Angels?
745.67 Book 2006

This book, full of many plates, puts the Book of Kells into perspective relative to the illuminated manuscripts that came before it.

This video introduction to the Book addresses many subjects, including the artistic traditions which inspired the artwork, the history of St. Columba on the Island of Iona, and the role of scribes in the monastic church. Mysteries of the book are explored, including the artists and materials, the influences upon the book and the humor within. View it as an introduction, and visit it again for a greater appreciation of the content after developing some sense of the book from other sources.