18th March 2025 15th August 2025 By Victor Rouă In

A Brief Introduction Into Anglo-Saxon Art

Anglo-Saxon art refers to the type of early medieval English art developed by the Anglo-Saxons, a cultural group and confederation of three Germanic peoples (namely Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) who sailed to and settled Britain from continental Europe (more specifically from present-day northern Germany and Jutland, Denmark) beginning in the 5th century. Anglo-Saxon art encompassed both illuminated manuscripts (which represented the most important artistic, cultural, and religious products in early medieval Britain before the 9th century) and a certain type of architecture which the Anglo-Saxons brought over from continental Europe to Britain (e.g. their timber-built thatch-roofed houses). It is also sometimes known or referred to as Hiberno-Saxon art (or Insular art) given the fact that it was influenced by Irish monks and their illumination techniques of ecclesiastical texts (most notably the Celtic curvilinear form-based decorative tradition, revolving around the double curve, shield motif of pelta, in a nutshell).

Sutton Hoo helmet pattern, a notable example of complex Anglo-Saxon visual art. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The earliest two schools of manuscript illumination in early medieval Anglo-Saxon Britain were the one at Canterbury (influenced by Roman Christian missionaries who converted southern Britain to Christianity) and the one in Northumbria (who was more important and prominent). The most illustrative examples of the Hiberno-Saxon style are the following literary manuscripts:

  • The Lindisfarne Gospels (dating to either the late part of the 7th century or the early part of the 8th century) which are ascribed to the Northumbrian school of manuscript illumination (these gospels also incorporated Byzantine art elements) and were written in the Insular half-uncial script
  • The Book of Durrow (dating to circa 700 or the early part of the 8th century), also written in the Insular half-uncial script and rather damaged (being repaired and rebound many times over the passage of time)
  • The Book of Kells (also known as Codex Cenannensis in Latin; dating to circa 800 or the early part of the 9th century), with folios abounding in illuminated initials (the manuscript is held in the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland)

Representation of a triskelion or triskele (an intricate spiral ornament representing the renewal of life) with a floral pattern and key-shaped circular borders, extracted from the Book of Kells, a masterpiece of Hiberno-Saxon art, via Celtic art in pagan and Christian times (1904) by Allen, J. Romilly (John Romilly). Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The Hiberno-Saxon style subsequently went on to be quite influential in continental Europe as well, leaving its mark on Carolingian art.

Chronologically, Anglo-Saxon art can be divided into two main types, namely one before the Danish conquest of England and the establishment of the Danelaw and one after the Danish Vikings conquered large parts of some Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, subduing them in the process for several centuries and warring with the neighbouring Kingdom of Wessex ruled once by King Alfred the Great (the king of the West Saxons). The Danish conquest of much what would later constitute the unified medieval Kingdom of England had a devastating effect on Anglo-Saxon art (with repercussions felt throughout the passage of time up until the middle part of the 10th century). It was during the middle 10th century that Anglo-Saxon art was revitalised by a growing interest in architecture and ‘the rebirth’ of monasteries. This ultimately resulted in a revamped production of literary volumes and the creation of the Winchester school of illumination (which thrived during the second half of the 10th century), a new style of illumination which based on Carolingian art from continental Europe.

In terms of architecture, the Anglo-Saxons used timber extensively and thatch for their houses and mead halls (the latter which had a very important storytelling function). A notable example of an Anglo-Saxon building which passed the everlasting test of time is the millenary wooden Greensted church (which is situated in Essex, south-eastern England). At the same time, Anglo-Saxon architecture was also prominently represented by the burhs (strong defensive circular forts against the invading Danish Vikings built by the West Saxons under King Alfred the Great’s reign) as well as by cathedrals such as the first version of Westminster Abbey, started under King Edward the Confessor’s reign, in the mid 11th century (namely between circa 1045 and 1050), relatively close to the Battle of Hastings which took place in 1066 and the Norman conquest.

Perhaps the important artefact discovered to date that highlights the intricate Anglo-Saxon art and its decorative patterns is the Sutton Hoo helmet (a decorated Anglo-Saxon helmet dating to early 7th century and associated with King Rædwald of East Anglia) which was unearthed in 1939 when the Sutton Hoo ship-burial was excavated in the proximity of Woodbridge, Suffolk, south-eastern England.

A coloured drawing/illustration of the famous Sutton Hoo helmet, as depicted in the second edition of Map of Britain in the Dark Ages (1966) by Arthur Thomas Chester. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Nowadays, the Sutton Hoo helmet which was excavated back in 1939 can be seen in the British Museum in London, United Kingdom. Image source: www.pixabay.com

In the end, the art of the Anglo-Saxons was both influenced and influenced in turn that of continental Europe, most notably the Carolingian art.

If you’d like to know more on the Anglo-Saxons, please also see this article: 10 Important Facts You Should Know About The Anglo-Saxons.

Documentation sources and external links:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.