Author: Anika Holzer
Major: Art History
Approved: Fall 2017
Status: Completed
Ireland’s history after the Celts is fraught with conflict, oppression, and disaster, yet the Irish maintained a sense of Irish national identity through it all. Then at the end of the 19th/ start of the 20th century the Irish formed their own nation, and began the Irish Renaissance, a time where the arts and literature flourished. Some of the biggest writers in history came from Ireland at this time, William Butler Yeats and James Joyce among the top. This revival, at least for literature, was deeply rooted in the ancient Celtic and Gaelic cultures while also pulling from the immense struggles that the people had faced. Ireland is known for the Celts, Yeats, and Joyce, but what does the art in Ireland at this time look like? How does it shape and manifest the national identity of the Irish? By studying in Ireland, I will identify significant works that tell the history of Irish identity. This study will culminate in a research paper my senior year from which I will create a gallery exhibition on Irish National Identity of art in Ireland.
