Vault, Cormac's Chapel, Ireland 1134

The Vault in Cormac’s Chapel in Ireland was constructed from stone during the Romanesque period, between 1000 and 1250. The architectural style here is closely related to that of the great Benedictine abbeys of France. It represents a radical break from Irish building traditions, which would have used wood instead of stone. The frescoes that survive give us an impression of how the chapel would have looked when new. They display an eclectic mix of Irish and European styles that is quite typical for Romanesque art. What are we to make of such cultural fusion? To properly understand the vault and its imagery, we must consider the history of monasticism, and the relationship between the Irish Church and the rest of Europe at that time. Historians consult contemporary documents, as well as the visual evidence, to gain insights into these cultural exchanges. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.