The exhibition features more than 300 objects inspired by this archaeological find, which represent the last of the great 19th century revivals of the visual arts – the rediscovery of medieval Celtic ornament from a period before British control. These objects will include jewelry inspired by the famous Tara Brooch; silver objects produced by the firm of Liberty and Company, “Hibernia Awakening from her Slumbers,” a monumental Belleek ceramic statue; and textiles embroidered by the Dun Emer Guild – founded by the sisters of W. B. Yeats- which shows the influence of Irish illuminated manuscripts. The impact of the Celtic Revival on American applied art will be represented with such objects as Louis Sullivan’s stenciled designs for the Chicago Stock Exchange, Thomas A. O’Shaughnessy’s monumental stained-glass window in honor of Henry O. Shephard, fonder of the Inland Printer, and a spectacular 15 piece turn of the century Tiffany desk set in a pattern called “Celtic.”
Catalog
Imagining an Irish Past: The Celtic Revival 1840-1940 | Published in April 1992—Out of stock
The works in the exhibition have been loaned from the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, the Ulster Museum in Belfast, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Historical Society, the Smart Museum of Art, and several private collections.