Anglo-Saxon Art

The seven centuries of the Anglo-Saxon period in England, roughly AD 400-1100, were a time of extraordinary and profound transformation in almost every aspect of its culture, culminating in a dramatic shift from a barbarian society to a recognizably medieval civilization. This book traces the changing nature of that art, the different roles it played in Anglo-Saxon culture, and the various ways it both reflected and influenced the changing context in which it was created. From its first manifestations in the metalwork and ceramics of the early settlers, Anglo-Saxon art displays certain inbuilt and highly distinctive stylistic and iconographic features. Despite the many new influences which were regularly absorbed and adapted by Anglo-Saxon artists and craftsmen, these characteristics continued to resonate through the centuries in the great manuscripts, ivories, metalwork and sculpture of this inventive and creative culture. This book is arranged thematically while following a broadly chronological sequence. An introductory chapter highlights the character of Anglo-Saxon art, its leitmotifs and underlying continuities. The author places this art firmly in its wider cultural and political context while also examining the significant conceptual relationship of visual to literary art in this period. The closing chapter reviews the impact of Anglo-Saxon art down the ages.