The Arts and Crafts Movement

An insightful exploration of the Irish dimension of the international Arts and Crafts movement, highlighting cultural innovation during a transformative period.

This volume accompanies an exhibition at the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College, offering the first comprehensive exploration of the Irish dimension of the international Arts and Crafts movement. It highlights the centenary of one of Ireland’s significant twentieth-century achievements, the Honan Chapel in Cork City, which was consecrated in 1916 amidst a backdrop of political upheaval. Through a cross-disciplinary lens, the book presents over one hundred and fifty ecclesiastical, domestic, and politically charged objects created between 1885 and 1930.

Contributors from both Ireland and North America delve into the Irish Arts and Crafts movement, situating it within the larger contexts of early Christian Irish art, nationalism, feminism, Celtic Revivalism, and modernism. The exhibition and the accompanying text celebrate the innovation and creativity that flourished during a time of national transformation. Scholars such as Nicola Gordon Bowe, Janice Helland, and Fintan O’Toole provide illustrated essays that enrich the narrative.

The Arts and Crafts Movement illustrates how cultural innovation emerged as Ireland sought to forge new identities and redefine its national culture during a turbulent period in European history. The book serves as both a scholarly resource and a visual feast, making it an essential read for those interested in the intersection of art, culture, and history in Ireland.