The Book of Kells Peacock
A long, long time ago, around 800 AD, a monk in either Scotland or Ireland painted a little peacock midway down, in the center column of an illuminated page in the Book of Kells.
It's small - likely just a few inches tall. About 1,200 years later, it inspired this copper repoussé homage to the incredibly detailed and meditative artistry of the unknown monk.
This one is much larger; about 30 inches by 12 inches, and is a beloved favorite early copper work on permanent display in the Copper & Hyde studio.
The Book of Kells is an immense source of artistic inspiration. It is on display in Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland), and the college has done a fantastic job of making the gorgeous illuminated pages available digitally in quite high resolution. It is absolutely worth a visit to their site to explore this wonder of Celtic art and material culture. Give it a minute to load in your browser. it will be worth it!
