Anglo-Saxon art A new history

Leslie Webster

Book - 2012

This is the first new introduction to Anglo-Saxon art in twenty-five years and the first book to take account of the 2009 discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard-the largest cache of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork yet found. Written by one of the leading scholars in the field and illustrated with many of the most impressive artifacts, it will be the authoritative book on the subject for years to come. The Anglo-Saxon period in England, roughly A.D. 400-1100, was a time of extraordinary and profound cultural transformation, culminating in a dramatic shift from a barbarian society to a recognizably medieval civilization. Settled by northern European tribal groupings of pagan and illiterate warriors and farmers in the fifth century, Englan...d had by the eleventh century acquired all the trappings of medieval statehood-a developed urban network and complex economy, a carefully regulated coinage, flourishing centers of religion and learning, a vigorous literary tradition, and a remarkable and highly influential artistic heritage that had significant impact far beyond England itself. This book traces the changing nature of that art, the different roles it played in culture, and the various ways it both reflected and influenced the context in which it was created. -- Publisher description.

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Subjects
Published
Ithaca, N.Y. : Cornell University Press 2012.
Language
English
Main Author
Leslie Webster (-)
Physical Description
256 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780801477669
  • Reading the image, seeing the text
  • Rome reinvented I : the early inheritance
  • Rome reinvented II : the impact of Christianity
  • Celtic connections, Eastern influences : sixth to ninth centuries
  • Art and power : from Sutton Hoo to Alfred
  • Mission and reform : eighth to eleventh centuries
  • The North ascendant : the Viking impact.
Review by Choice Review

Webster (formerly, British Museum) aims to provide "an accessible overview that covers the entire Anglo-Saxon period, placing it within a broader cultural and historical context, and incorporating the new discoveries and new thinking of recent years." The first chapter addresses the grammar and vocabulary of Anglo-Saxon ornament in the context of its history and culture. The other six chapters explore a variety of Anglo-Saxon objects, including new finds such as the Staffordshire Hoard (discovered in 2009), and art history survey favorites like the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Alfred Jewel (although not, apparently, the Book of Kells). The material is structured into a broadly chronological organization that blends local historical, religious, and literary contexts with external influences, such as the impact of imported Byzantine textiles. Every chapter begins with a literary excerpt that addresses images or responses. For example, Stephen of Ripon's mid-7th-century description of the new Roman-influenced monastery at Hexham, from his "Life of St. Wilfrid," begins chapter 3 and its discussion of the impact of early Christian Mediterranean architectural and visual vocabularies. Overall this beautifully illustrated book fulfills its author's stated aims. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. A. R. Stanton University of Missouri--Columbia

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review

While there is no shortage of titles that examine early medieval art, this book is the first to include the 2009 discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest cache of this period's gold and silver metalwork found to date. Webster (coeditor, The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art) has a smooth narrative voice as she describes imagery (e.g., zoomorphic carved decorations and the Bayeux Tapestry), cites literature (Beowulf), and explains the religious and secular importance of the era's styles. She skillfully recounts the influence of courts, churches, and conquests, and concludes with a reflection of Anglo-Saxon art's place in modern culture from the Celtic Revival to the politics of the antiquities trade. The rich images of exemplary items come from the British Museum and British Library collections. VERDICT This book will appeal to academics, students, enthusiasts of jewelry or illumination, and Anglophiles. An engaging, well-documented discussion of color, line, technique, material, themes, and influences (both political and ecclesiastical) with high-resolution color photographs of rare artifacts. A gem; recommended.-Marianne Laino Sade, Maryland Inst. Coll. of Art Lib., Baltimore (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.