A Fierce Gael: The Legacy of the Celts in Fantasy Illustration
Mattie Courtney
Illustration (School of Graduate Studies)
About this Item
- Title
- A Fierce Gael: The Legacy of the Celts in Fantasy Illustration
- Contributor Names
-
Courtney, Mattie (Author)
-
Reitschel, Barbara (Thesis advisor)
- Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. Illustration (Degree granting institution)
- Date
- 2023
- Degree Information
- M.A. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York 2023
- Department: Illustration
- Advisor: Barbara Reitschel
- Committee member: Brendan Leach
- Abstract
- This paper focuses on the evolution of Celtic themes within fantasy illustration, focusing particularly on the development of illustration concerning fairyland and its denizens – a theme nearly synonymous with Celtic folklore and mythology – in Ireland and the British Isles, and widens in scope near the turn of the 20th century to examine its lasting legacy on international fairy and fantasy illustration and the fantasy genre. Concurrently, this paper traces “Celtic” styles of art, touching upon ancient Celtic artwork dating to 500 BCE and its influence on the development of the tradition of Celtic interlace used to adorn medieval illuminated manuscripts, the change in and decline of this unique Celtic style over the 10th-16th centuries, and its subsequent revivals in the 18th-20th centuries. This paper concludes that while themes and motifs from Celtic mythology and artwork persist in fantasy media today, the lasting legacy of the Gaelic identity on fantasy illustration can be found in its narrative influence on prominent illustrators of fairy tales and fantasy literature, rather than in a particular style of artwork.
- Rights
- In Copyright
- The copyright for this work is held by its author/creator(s). Usage of this material beyond what is permitted by copyright law must first be cleared with the rights-holder(s). This work has been made available online by the Fashion Institute of Technology Gladys Marcus Library strictly for research and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder for this work and have any objections to this work being made available online, please notify us immediately at [email protected].
- This item must not be sold to any third party vendors.
- Identifier
- FIT Repository ID: etd_000985
- Language
- English
Citation
Courtney, M. (2023). A Fierce Gael: The Legacy of the Celts in Fantasy Illustration [Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York]. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/179237
Courtney, Mattie. A Fierce Gael: The Legacy of the Celts in Fantasy Illustration. 2023. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, Master's thesis. FIT Digital Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/179237
Courtney, Mattie. "A Fierce Gael: The Legacy of the Celts in Fantasy Illustration." Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, 2023. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/179237