Ireland: Overview on arts & culture Few places on the planet are as crammed with history as Ireland. Everywhere you look there are castles, houses and monuments, some even older than the Pyramids. In Ireland the past is part of the present, part of the people and part of its vibrant culture. The earliest Irish art is found in carvings on megalithic monuments dating from 2500 - 2000 BC. In early historic times, Celtic art predominated, reaching its peak in illuminated manuscripts such as the Book of Durrow and the Book of Kells. While the basic Celtic patterns remain, European influences such as Viking, Romanesque and Gothic styles are seen in work executed later than the 9th century. The large, distinctly Irish, stone crosses, seen across the country date from the 9th and 10th centuries. From the mid-17th century, decorative arts and large-scale building flourished under the influence of contemporary European trends.

By the early 19th century neo-classicism, romanticism, and later naturalism, were the dominant forces in painting. They were replaced at the end of that century by impressionism. This was a particularly rich period which gave us artists such as Nathaniel Hone, Walter Osborne, John Lavery, William Leech, John Butler Yeats and William Orpen. Modernism was first explored by the painters Evie Hone and Mainie Jellett. A forum for the new movement was provided by the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, founded in 1943. From this emerged internationally influenced artists such as Louis Le Brocquy, Patrick Scott, Michael Farrall, Robert Ballagh and, to a lesser extent, Patrick Collins, Tony O'Malley, Camille Souter and Barrie Cooke. Monumental sculpture of 19th century is best represented by the work of John Hogan and John Henry Foley whose tradition lasted into the 20th century with such sculptors as Oisín Kelly, Séamas Murphy and Hilary Heron. Contemporary sculptors include Brian King, John Behan, Michael Bulfin, Michael Warran and Eilis O' Connell. For more detailed information, go to link

Sweden Culture The depth and variety of Sweden's cultural heritage has been inspired by two main sources - nature with its ever-changing, clearly defined seasons, and contacts with other cultures, from as far back as the Iron Age, through the Viking era up to the present day. Handicrafts form a significant part of Sweden's cultural heritage. The humble, wooden Dala horse is often seen as a symbol of Sweden, along with the exquisitely designed glassware of Smĺland. Both these symbols can be found in homes around the world. But this is just the tip of the cultural iceberg. There is so much more for visitors to Sweden to enjoy - from the Höganäs ceramics of western Skĺne in the south, to the finely carved wood, bone and textile handicrafts of the Sami people in northern Lapland - and all the provinces in between, with their countless workshops full of weavers and spinners, gold and silver smiths, stonemasons, woodcarvers and much more. Besides the wealth of prehistoric cultural sites, there are many more dating from historic times - fortresses, castles and manor houses from the Middle Ages through to the 19th century. For example, Glimmingehus in the far south of the country is the best-preserved medieval fortress in Scandinavia. In the area around Lake Mälaren there are many fine examples of castles and stately homes dating back to the era when Sweden was a great power in the 17th and 18th centuries. Medieval churches, large and small, are also an important part of Sweden's cultural heritage. There are enormous historic cathedrals in Uppsala, Västerĺs and Lund; while on Gotland there are many small village churches, each with its own special history. The Bergslagen area retains many fascinating relics from the iron industry's heyday. There are cultural sites where you can see entire iron-industry villages preserved in their original state, and witness how iron ore used to be mined. At Falu Koppargruva and the Stora Museum in Falun, there is a unique copper-mining environment dating back to the 16th century. Another fascinating area, and listed as a World Heritage site, is the entire town of Visby on the island of Gotland, with its medieval Hanseatic town centre and fantastic walls. The old town in Stockholm, "Gamla Stan" is criss-crossed by winding cobbled alleyways, and is full of buildings dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

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