The early history of
Irish art is generally considered to begin with early carvings found at sites such as
Newgrange and is traced through
Bronze Age artefacts, particularly ornamental
gold objects, and the religious carvings and illuminated manuscripts of the
medieval period. During the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, a strong indigenous tradition of painting emerged, including such figures as
John Butler Yeats,
William Orpen and
Jack Yeats.