The Celtic, Pictish, Anglo-Saxon and Viking peoples who inhabited the British Isles and Ireland from late prehistory to the Norman Conquest left a rich visual heritage whose influence continues to be felt.

This is the first book to present an illustrated overview of the early art of the British and Irish archipelago during one of the most formative periods in its history. It explores the interaction between its inhabitants, along with the formation of national and regional identities, through the lens of visual culture.

Leading expert Michelle P. Brown explains the historical context within which key artworks of the period were made and used, ranging across works as diverse as the Book of Kells, the Tara Brooch, the Aberlemno Stones, the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Alfred Jewel and the Benedictional of St Ethelwold, and examines the ways in which their complex imagery can be interpreted. She also considers the impact of the art of this period upon the history of art in general, helping to inform both the Carolingian renaissance, the Romanesque and, from the late nineteenth century, the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements.

Fusing history, art history, archaeology and literary studies, and fully illustrated throughout, this is a ground-breaking guide to a fascinating and complex period in which northern Europe journeyed from late Antiquity into the Middle Ages.