The Book of Kells

by Bernard Meehan

One of the most remarkable manuscripts to survive from the early Middle Ages in
Europe, the Book of Kells was probably painted around 800 in a monastery at Iona in
Scotland or Kells in Ireland, or perhaps in both places. Extraordinarily inventive and
intricate imagery accompanies the texts of the four Gospels: full-page depictions of
Evangelists and their symbols, lavish honorific openings to the Gospels, extraordinary
initials, and decoration that combines complex interlace, animals, and human figures.
This newly photographed book explores the Book of Kells through its historical
background; a display of the elements of the book at their actual size; the spectacular
openings of the texts that precede the Gospels; a study of earlier and comparable
manuscripts; detailed examination of symbols and themes, with special enlarged
details; a look at the scribes and artists who worked on the manuscript; and a
consideration of technical aspects, illuminated by recent scientific research.
The rich illustrations feature more than fifty full-size reproductions of complete
pages of the manuscript plus enlarged details that allow one to relish the intricacy
of elements barely visible to the naked eye. Supplementary images place the
manuscript in its setting and provide comparisons for its iconography and style.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Ireland, History, Medieval, Religion, Irish Literature

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this very thorough book ahead of a trip to Ireland to see the Book of Kells. I found it very interesting and informative, with great explanations and illustrations. I don’t think you can find a better book on the Book of Kells. I highly recommend if you’re interested in this fascinating piece of history and the Christian faith.

[Xatolos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, it's like a personal guided tour through the real Book of Kells. Lots of very high quality photos from the pages of the original book.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overheard by the hubs & me at the Getty at an illuminated manuscript exhibition:
Her: "These books are so beautiful!"
Him: "They were monks - they didn't have anything else to do."
Ouch.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous art book about the Book of Kells, with history and descriptions of the images and creation of the book. Truly a fascinating thing to browse and read.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite possibly the most beautiful book I've ever read. It's certainly the only one I've read with a magnifying glass handy to make sure I didn't miss any of the details.

I have seen the Book of Kells personally, but nothing prepares you for the wealth of fascinating detail that Bernard Meehan reveals in his erudite discussion of the book. He goes into its history, structure, script, illustrations, symbolism, authorship, physical structure and a whole lot more. Meehan highlights fine aspects of the illustrations that the untrained eye would never see, they are so tiny. The artistry and calligraphy he describes are breath-taking and engender awe for what these scribes and artists were capable of more than 1200 years ago.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With its vast number of full-color plates, this book offers a splendid tour of the Book of Kells. The explanatory text is not as thorough as, for example, Francoise Henry's 1974 manuscript study. Bernard Meehan assimilates the preceding literature on the Book of Kells and applies the results of intervening studies to some earlier hypotheses. This is a fine introduction to a singular artistic masterpiece, and the superb photographs provide ample grounds for falling in love with it. The main thing it lacks is an index so you could find a certain folio when needed.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book of Kells has been called one of the most important writings in history, so I thought I should find out about it. It is NOT a novel, biography, sci-fi, or non-fiction. It is the manuscripts created in Ireland and northern Britain between the 7th and 10th centuries. The monastic masterpiece is of the four Gospels, the Book is full of decorative drawings that most of us have seen and not realized the origin. This booklet is written about how thhis wonderous art came about, why and who made it. Fascinating and worthwhile, if you are interested in this kind of book.

[Rhea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection. Any Kells enthusiast should not miss this book.

[Mills College Library]

091.09415 M4943 2012

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect.

[Don Gubler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good treatment on the ancient manuscript. Gorgeous pictures and apt descriptions.