A graphic novel version of the beautiful animated film the secret of kells, done by the same man who animated the film. First look at designing the secret of kells cartoon brew. Five years after its theatrical debut, the muchadmired oscarnominated irish feature the secret of kells finally has its own artof book. These study notes are suitable for ks2 history, literacy and art. Thanks to jerry beck for this photo from comiccon of the designing the secret of kells books arriving at comic con.
The 12thcentury writer gerald of wales, in his topographia hibernica, described seeing a great gospel book in kildare which many have since assumed was the book of kells. It is a lavishly decorated copy of the four gospels written in latin with supporting texts. Shop for book of kells art prints from our community of independent artists and iconic brands. Nov 05, 2015 together with the gospels of lindisfarne and the book of durrow, i would say that the book of kells is one of the greatest contributions to medieval art ever to come out of the british isles. Apr 08, 2010 a drama about the creation of truly excellent graphic art must be itself a work of truly excellent graphic art above all other dramatic concerns. Originally released in ireland, one of its countries of origin, the secret of kells story is intertwined with the book of kells. Book of kells arguably, the most notable masterpiece of medieval art is the incomparable book of kells, a 680 page latin manuscript of the four gospels. My 5year old granddaughter went crazy over this book. The secret of kells began development in 1999, when tomm moore and several of his friends were inspired by richard williamss the thief and the cobbler, disneys mulan, gustav klimts paintings, john bauers illustrations and the works of hayao miyazaki, which based their visual style on the respective traditional art of the cultures featured. Come down and get one signed today or any day until sunday. It is known as an illuminated manuscript, or in other words an elaborately decorated and illustrated bible made from vellum calf skin and painstakingly painted by hand. Designing the secret of kells will be launched later this. Much like the film itself, designing the secret of kells is a work of art on its own.
Cartoon saloon the secret of kells animated feature film. Symbolism in the secret of kells by aquaclarinetist on. While its not a faithful historical account of the creation of the book of kells it is a. The secret of kells 2009, codirected by tomm moore and nora twomey, is an astonishing homage to ireland and celtic culture. The secret of kells is about a boy named brendan who finds out about what is outside the walls of kells, which holds deep, dark secrets that little people know. A fictionalized version of the history of the book of kells, the story focuses on brendan, a young monk wanting to join his fellow monks in working on. Jan 01, 2009 a graphic novel version of the beautiful animated film the secret of kells, done by the same man who animated the film. In the forest brendan is rescued from wolves by aisling, a mysterious greeneyed girl. Find art you love and shop highquality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and posters at art. Here are ten things you should know about this ancient masterpiece. The secret of kells was cartoon saloons first feature film and was directed by tomm moore with nora twomey as codirector. The secret of kells might rush it plot, but it visuals and what it culturally shares are mesmerizing. Shop for book of kells art from the worlds greatest living artists. Jan 01, 2014 much like the film itself, designing the secret of kells is a work of art on its own.
Aug 22, 2019 the secret of kells lovingly pays tribute to the history and artistry of the book of kells while weaving a clever, fun story. Brendan and the secret of kells is an animated fantasy feature film distributed by. Choose your favorite book of kells designs and purchase them as wall art, home decor, phone cases, tote bags, and more. If you know nothing else about medieval european illuminated manuscripts, you surely know the book of kells. Mar 16, 2010 in art school instructors sometimes talk about less is more. She is advanced for her age, so dont know if all 5year olds would like this book.
What this means is that the illustrations of a book, often a bible or the gospels, are decorated with gold or silver leaf in addition to vibrant. The story told here is incredibly faithful to the film, with a few minor alterations, and some character thoughts and dialogue added in that adds a little bit of clarity to some parts of the film. The film is based on the story of the origin of the book of kells, an illuminated manuscript gospel book in latin, containing the four gospels of the. Christianity today i love that brother aidans cat in the secret of kells is called pangur ban.
Oxgall inks and pigments on vellum, 12 x 9 the board of trinity college, dublin. In the film the secret of kells 2009, young brendan lives in the seventh century village of kells with his uncle, abbot cellach. By director tom moore and art director ross stewart. Nov 16, 2016 the secret of kells is an animation movie produced by cartoon saloon and directed by tomm moore and nora twomey in 2009.
The secret of kells is one of the most stunning art directed animation features in quite some time. The unknown eighth or ninthcentury irish monk who, in a playful respite from his normal work, penned in the margins of a latin new testament manuscript an affectionate ode in his native tongue to the mousecatching prowess of his white cat would. This book contains the harmony of the four evangelists according to jerome, where for almost every page there are different designs, distinguished by. The medieval masterpiece, the book of kells, is now. The medieval masterpiece, the book of kells, is now digitized. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. A morning at the river within us, this book uses the term swing from rowing to express the perfect interaction of the motion of the of the oar stroke but, is intended to express the perfection in each of us. Columba, illuminated manuscript, insular illumination, ireland, medieval art, the book of kells, the secret of kells, tomm moore i decided to do something a little different for this post, since i have not written one for awhile. Apr 02, 2010 the secret of kells irish monks, a woodland sprite, a young boy and irelands most famous illuminated manuscript grace this charming irish indie, a best animated feature nominee in an unusually. The secret of kells from the perspective of an old soul. An interview with the secret of kells director tomm mooore. The secret of kells is unlike most of the animation released these days. The book of kells isnt the only illuminated manuscript in the socalled insular style.
The book of kells is considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces in both irish art and early christian art. The secret of kells is an animation movie produced by cartoon saloon and directed by tomm moore and nora twomey in 2009. Designing the secret of kells is a wonderful artbook companion for the. The secret of kells irish monks, a woodland sprite, a young boy and irelands most famous illuminated manuscript grace this charming irish indie, a best animated feature nominee in an unusually. The secret of kells began development in 1999, when tomm moore and several of his friends were inspired by richard williamss the thief and the cobbler, disneys mulan, gustav klimts paintings, john bauers illustrations and the works of hayao miyazaki, which based their visual style on the respective traditional art of the cultures featured in each film. Each book of kells art print is produced using archival inks, ships within 48 hours, and comes with a 30day money back guarantee. The art style of this movie i found very intriguing, with all the patterns and designs. In the process, brendan meets forest spirit aisling and defeats the evil crom cruach. Nominated for an academy award in 2010 for best animated feature, the secret of kells has screened and won awards in major festivals worldwide. After listening to the other monks of the monastery talk about brother aidan, the creator of the book of iona, brendan is curious about the.
They decided to do something similar to studio ghiblis films but with irish art. It includes literally hundreds of gorgeous concept art and stunning character design pieces throughout the production of the film with some valuable commentary of its various stages. The book of kells is one of the worlds greatest medieval treasures. Monks from the original monastery founded by st columba also set up other monastic communities including. See more ideas about book of kells, celtic art and illuminated manuscript. While most illuminated manuscripts were designed for use by missionaries the shorter text was easier to carry the book of kells was intended for display. The secret of kells goodreads meet your next favorite book.
Today, were continuing our focus on the book of kells with a recent family flick inspired by the manuscriptthe secret of kells. Based on the story tomm moore wrote, it premiered on january 30, 2009 at geardmer film festival in france, received worldwide acclaim, and was even nominated for the academy award for best animated film. It premiered on february 11, 2009 in france and belgum, march 3, 2009 on ireland, and march 12, 2010 in the united states. Feb 14, 2016 after watching the secret of kells i could certainly see similarities to the actual book of kells. Apr 27, 2009 beautifully drawn and refreshingly calm, the secret of kells hearkens back to animations golden age with an enchanting tale inspired by irish mythology. Im thinking of getting for my 7year old granddaughter. Like its subject, it is full of rich, dense colors. Along the way, brendan befriended the white forest sprite aisling, as he sought to recover an ancient crystal invaluable to the meticulous art of book illustration. Under the guidance of master illuminator brother aidan, brendan sets out to finish a treasured book, the book of iona kells. The pictures on this page are a collection of artworks created for this movie. See more ideas about the secret of kells, character design and concept art. Aiden opens brendans eyes to the art of illustration and the lure of the outside world.
The book of kells is known for its beautiful color range and that was displayed throughout the film. Art of the secret of kells part 1 the secret of kells is an animation movie produced by cartoon saloon and directed by tomm moore and nora twomey in 2009. The secret of kells is a 2009 frenchbelgianirish animated fantasy film animated by cartoon. Book of kells and secret of kells film book of kells. Brendan is very interested in the art of illumination, and spends much of his time in the scriptorium with some of the brothers in the abbey. Much like the film itself, designing the secret of kells is a work of art. In order to finish brother aidens book, brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a secret quest that will take him beyond the abbey walls and into the enchanted forest where dangerous mythical creatures hide.
The book of kells is one of the finest and most famous, and also one of the latest, of a group of manuscripts in what is known as the insular style, produced from the late 6th through the early 9th centuries in monasteries in ireland, scotland and england and in continental monasteries with hibernoscottish or anglosaxon foundations. Five years after its theatrical debut, the muchadmired oscarnominated irish feature the secret of kells finally has its own art of book. The secret of kells original title or brendan and the secret of kells is an irishbelgianfrench coproduction directed by tomm moore at cartoon saloon, the studio behind skunk fu a fictionalized version of the history of the book of kells, the story focuses on brendan, a young monk wanting to join his fellow monks in working on illuminating texts. With evan mcguire, brendan gleeson, mick lally, christen mooney. One of irelands greatest cultural treasures comments, it is set apart from other manuscripts of the same period by the quality of its artwork and the sheer number of illustrations that run throughout the 680 pages of the book. The secret of kells what is this remarkable animated. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. The first thing that stood out the most was the use of bright colors. Customize your book of kells print with hundreds of different frames and mats, if desired. Last week, we looked at the book of kells, a 9thcentury irish manuscript so rich it has inspired generations. The secret of kells what is this remarkable animated feature.
Possibly the best artbook out there right now, this book belongs in every artists bookshelf. A drama about the creation of truly excellent graphic art must be itself a work of truly excellent graphic art above all other dramatic concerns. In art school instructors sometimes talk about less is more. Book in latin the book medieval manuscript medieval art illuminated letters illuminated manuscript the secret of kells chi rho book of kells i am fortunate enough to live in a time and in a place when i can casually sign up for minicourses on things of tremendous worth, history, beauty, and meaning whenever they happen to come round. The film itself is visually stunning and beautifully art directed. To help complete the magical book, brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest into the enchanted forest where he meets aisling, a mysterious young girl. The unknown eighth or ninthcentury irish monk who, in a playful respite from his normal work, penned in the margins of a latin new testament manuscript an affectionate ode in his native tongue to the mousecatching prowess of his. Dalrymples book highlights striking similarities between archetypally celtic illuminated manuscripts such as the book of durrow and the book of kells, and earlier byzantine works, and suggests that these influences may have been transported via the monastic migration from east to west in the early centuries after christ. Brendan wants to help the newcomer brother aidan create an illuminated manuscript. History, myth and legend collide in this fullcolour illustrated storybook of the animated feature brendan and the secret of kells.
The idea was to look at the book of kells and medieval art in general and to try and translate that into a style that would suit 2d animation. Twelveyearold brendans life in the monastery at kells is not very exciting until aidan arrives. Though its been ten years since its initial release in ireland, the movies animation and story remain a beautiful hallmark that. The secret of kells original title or brendan and the secret of kells is an irishbelgianfrench coproduction directed by tomm moore at cartoon saloon, the studio behind skunk fu. Chi and rho are the first two letters of the word christ in greek. The secret of kells book of kells, the secret of kells. It also draws heavily on irish folklore and medieval irish poetry, with the inclusion of aisling and a lovable cat named pangurban. The book of kells is inches wide and 10 inches high. The results were a rich, totally satisfying film experience for me. All book of kells artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30day moneyback guarantee. Art of the secret of kells part 1 character design references. While some art books end up focusing on one aspect of its respective movie, desiging the secret of kells explores not only how the creators painstakingly captured its beautiful art style, but also looks into character design, production process, story boarding and writing, and much more. Adventure awaits 12 year old brendan who must fight vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary book of kells.
1317 880 1271 1092 1492 1511 885 863 1570 1153 209 642 514 1552 291 1378 1468 432 414 1336 565 13 625 1253 940 668 1472 252 1634 282 831 1216 729 1212 172 393 974 908 1006 1315 769 1418 1390 708 509