Celtic art is famed for its geometric patterns and stylized view of nature. Influenced by the art of other cultures, it evolved into a separate distinctive art form. It survives best in pre Roman archaeology as weapons and jewellery.
The Origins of Celtic Art
Celtic art’s development began with the central European Celtic tribes. Along with other aspects of Celtic culture, it spread to other areas of Europe such as Britain and Ireland.
Celtic art was originally inspired with the Mediterranean nations the Celts traded with. The Greeks and Etruscans seem to have influenced the Celts with their styles of drinking vessels. Scythian and other oriental influence led to the use of animals in decoration.
The Celts interpreted these influences in their own way. Human figures, which were stylized and formulistic in Greek art became more individual. The Celts portrayed individual figures as having their own facial expressions and wearing different types of Celtic hairstyle and dress. Unlike the Greeks, they also employed humour, making many of their portrayals comical.
Celtic Art in the Archaeological Record
Although Celtic art would have found expression in fabrics and leatherwork, such materials have a poor survival rate. Most of what remains to us from the pre roman period is in the form of metal work. Common metals include gold, silver and bronze and cover objects such as jewellery, weapons and high status goods such as drinking vessels.
Common Features of Celtic Art
Celtic art is defined by a number of common motifs:
- Nature. Human figures, animals and plants were commonly used in Celtic art. Birds, horses and deers were amongst popular creatures displayed.
- Geometric shapes. Cross hatched patterns, spirals, lozenges and knots are common features. Woven together, they were often used to fill in large spaces of the item they decorated
- Abstract patterns and fantastical beasts. Much of Celtic artwork marries all of the above with graceful tendrils of plants and the necks of birds appearing out of the complex patterns of its geometry. Basic animal forms gradually developed into unique stylized fantastical animals.
Different Styles of Celtic Art
Celtic art began to emerge as a distinct form during the Halstatt period. Greek and eastern influence was still obvious in many designs such as the Basse Yutz vessels but they had been adapted to include animals and plants that emerged naturally out of the main body of the item in question. This time period also sees the beginnings of the abstract geometric patterns and enamelling that became so typical of Celtic art. Greek art usually told a story but Celtic art concentrated more on the attention to detail in the patterns and figures it employed
It was during the La Tene period that Celtic art was refined and achieved a totally unique expression. It can be separated into several distinct styles. These include:
Waldagesheim style. Dating to the 4th century BC, this style was named after the style of torcs and bracelets found in a series of graves in Germany. The style is typified by the curved abstract patterns in the metal work, accompanied by the use of human heads as decorative motifs.
Plastic style: dating to the 3rd century BC. This employed the use of relief moulding in metal work.
Sword style. Belonging to the same time frame as plastic style, this employed two dimensional engraved, asymmetrical patterns.
Celtic styles also developed uniquely according to the particular Celtic region, with the art of Britain and Ireland showing subtle difference to that from the continent.
Sources:
Lloyd Laing ‘Celtic Britain’ (1984) Paladin: Granada publishing
Frank Delaney: ‘The Celts’ (1993) Harper Collins Publishers
Illustrated Dictionary of Archaeology
