The Madonna and Child, from the Book of Kells, at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, c800
This earliest western illustration of the Madonna and Child from the Book of Kells dates to around 800 AD. Regarded as a masterwork of western calligraphy the illustrated manuscript of the four gospels was created in a Columban monastery and takes its name from the Abbey at Kells, Co. Meath which was its home for centuries. The Book of Kells represents insular art at its high point. The term derives from the Latin insula meaning island and relates to a time when Ireland and Britain shared a common style different from the rest of Europe. A very Happy Christmas from antiquesandartireland.com
