Catherine Karkov is a professor specializing in the history of art and leading the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds. Her research centers on early medieval art, particularly Anglo-Saxon art. She has explored the intricate relationship between text and image in Anglo-Saxon literature, arguing that critical editions omitting the manuscript's illustrations do so at their peril. These illustrations, appearing at dramatic moments within the texts, offer crucial insights into the allegorical significance of many passages.
Focusing on the intricate study of Anglo-Saxon stone sculpture, this book employs explicit theoretical frameworks to analyze carved monuments like the Ruthwell Cross. It features contributions from leading scholars in England, Ireland, and America, who engage in critical discourse, highlighting how their methodologies either complement or challenge existing interpretations. This collection aims to provoke thought and discussion within the academic community, marking a significant advancement in the field.
Exploring the unique relationship between text and imagery, this study delves into the only surviving illustrated manuscript of Anglo-Saxon poetry. It examines how the visual elements enhance the poetic narrative and the cultural significance of the illustrations. By analyzing this manuscript, the work offers insights into the artistic and literary practices of the Anglo-Saxon period, revealing the complexities of how words and images interact to convey meaning.
From Kehinde Wiley to W.E.B. Du Bois, from Nubia to Cuba, Willie Doherty's terror in ancient landscapes to the violence of institutional Neo-Gothic, Reagan's AIDS policies to Beowulf fanfiction, this richly diverse volume brings together art historians and literature scholars to articulate a more inclusive, intersectional medieval studies. It will be of interest to students working on the diaspora and migration, white settler colonialism and pogroms, Indigenous studies and decolonial methodology, slavery, genocide, and culturecide. The authors confront the often disturbing legacies of medieval studies and its current failures to own up to those, and also analyze fascist, nationalist, colonialist, anti-Semitic, and other ideologies to which the medieval has been and is yoked, collectively formulating concrete ethical choices and aims for future research and teaching.In the face of rising global fascism and related ideological mobilizations, contemporary and past, and of cultural heritage and history as weapons of symbolic and physical oppression, this volume's chapters on Byzantium, Medieval Nubia, Old English, Hebrew, Old French, Occitan, and American and European medievalisms examine how educational institutions, museums, universities, and individuals are shaped by ethics and various ideologies in research, collecting, and teaching.
The book offers a novel perspective on the creation and representation of Anglo-Saxon England, exploring how this historical period is portrayed through various artistic and literary forms. It delves into the cultural and societal influences that shaped the era, providing insights into its unique artistic expressions and written works. The analysis encourages readers to reconsider established narratives and appreciate the complexity of Anglo-Saxon identity and heritage.
This Element covers the art produced in early medieval England from the
departure of the Romans to the early twelfth century, an art that shows the
input of multi-ethnic artists, patrons, and influences as it develops over the
centuries.
