In Celtic culture the serpent was a common religious and artistic symbol, with strong fertility associations. The serpent was particularly tied to the Celtic stag-horned god Cernunnos, pictured with ram-horned snakes on the famous Gundestrup Caldron. As a cult symbol, the serpent was naturally viewed as a dangerous icon of the old religion by Christian missionaries who arrived in Ireland in the fourth century. The legend that Saint Patrick banished the snakes from the island is in fact a thinly veiled reference to Patrick’s mission of peacefully converting the Irish to Christianity and defeating the old gods.

The serpent would not be completely forgotten, continuing as an artistic motif for stonecarvers, jewelers and native artists. In the Christian monasteries, the serpent now served the new religion as an important decorative element in the great illuminated gospel books of Kells, Durrow and Lindisfarne.

Celtic artist Michael Carroll’s SERPENTINE is executed in high Book of Kells style, using fine brushes and goose quill pens on calfskin vellum. Michael’s designs are not copied from the ancients but are brand-new works, created with the same tools and techniques used by Irish monks of the eighth century.

SERPENTINE was painted in gouache on calfskin manuscript vellum, using hand-cut quill pens and extremely fine detail brushes. Now available as a fine art giclee print released by the artist in a limited edition of 300, the artwork is professionally converted into a digital image to exactly match the original vellum page. Each individual print is inspected and then hand numbered and signed by the artist. Accompanied by a description and a signed certificate of authenticity, each giclee is printed on heavyweight 100% cotton archival paper using highly lightfast pigmented inks rated to last 80 to 100 years.

Limited Edition Giclee of 300
Numbered and signed by the artist