The Crucifixion in Irish Art

“The Crucifixion…is the only religious event or scene that has been represented in Irish art in virtually every century from the year 800 down to the present day. Crucifixes and crucifixion scenes thus provide an ideal and consistent yardstick against which we can measure the achievements of Irish artists and craftsmen during the last dozen centuries or so. They can reflect not only the changes in art styles throughout this period, but also—through individual characteristics and the accompanying figures and objects—the changing theology down the years.” - From the Introduction

Throughout Irish history artists have captured the Crucifixion using a variety of mediums: on crosses, in stained glass, on tombstones, sculptures, and paintings. Photographs of fifty such depictions of the Crucifixion (46 in black-and-white and 4 in color) ranging from the year 800 CE to the present, along with interpretive commentary, show the development of this image and the theology surrounding it in Ireland. A perfect book for contemplation during the Lenten season.