J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator

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The name J.R.R. Tolkien refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see J.R.R. Tolkien (disambiguation).
J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator
Artist and Illustrator 1995.jpg
AuthorWayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull
IllustratorJ.R.R. Tolkien
PublisherHarperCollins (UK)
Houghton Mifflin (US)
Released27 October 1995
FormatHardcover; paperback
Pages207
ISBN0261103229

J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator is a collection of paintings (mostly watercolour) and drawings by J.R.R. Tolkien for his stories, published in 1995. The book was edited by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull.

Overview[edit | edit source]

The book explores Tolkien's art at length, from his childhood paintings and drawings to his final sketches. It reproduces 200 examples of his artwork (around 100 of them were previously unpublished). At its heart are his illustrations for his books, especially The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Also examined are the pictures Tolkien made for his children (notably in his Letters from Father Christmas and Mr. Bliss), his expressive calligraphy, his love of decoration, and his contributions to the typography and design of his books. There is an appendix on Tolkien's calligraphy.

Reception[edit | edit source]

The book won the 1996 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies.[1]

It was well received by scholars and critics. The Tolkien Library called the book a significant contribution to understanding Tolkien's life and art, "a full book's worth even without the artwork".[2]

Raymond Lister, reviewing the book for the literary journal VII, writes that it is uncommon for writers also to be illustrators, with instances like William Blake and Beatrix Potter. He states that Tolkien rightly considered himself an amateur, though his work gained professional polish over the years. In Lister's view, Tolkien was at his best when illustrating his own "romances", with fictional landscapes populated by dragons; and when working for children. In his view, Hammond and Scull have researched widely, as shown by the notes, and written "a good book ... extensively and beautifully illustrated ... its text ... an excellent example of how scholarship and clear prose—so often mutually exclusive—should be combined".

Publication history and gallery[edit | edit source]

1995 hardcover  
1998 paperback  
2004 hardcover  

See also[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

References

A J.R.R. Tolkien book guide
Books by or mainly by Tolkien
Of Arda Authored by
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit · The Lord of the Rings
(i.The Fellowship of the Ring · ii.The Two Towers · iii.The Return of the King) ·
The Road Goes Ever On · Bilbo's Last Song
Edited by Christopher Tolkien The Silmarillion · Unfinished Tales · The History of Middle-earth series
(i.The Book of Lost Tales: Part One · ii.The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two · iii.The Lays of Beleriand · iv.The Shaping of Middle-earth · v.The Lost Road and Other Writings · vi.The Return of the Shadow · vii.The Treason of Isengard · viii.The War of the Ring · ix.Sauron Defeated · x.Morgoth's Ring · xi.The War of the Jewels · xii.The Peoples of Middle-earth · Index) ·
The Children of Húrin · Beren and Lúthien · The Fall of Gondolin
Edited by others The Annotated Hobbit · The History of The Hobbit · The Nature of Middle-earth ·
The Fall of Númenor · The Maps of Middle-earth
Not of Arda Short stories
and poems
Leaf by Niggle · Farmer Giles of Ham · Smith of Wootton Major · The Adventures of Tom Bombadil ·
Letters from Father Christmas · Mr. Bliss · Roverandom ·
Tree and Leaf (compilation) · Tales from the Perilous Realm (compilation)
Fictional works The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún · The Fall of Arthur · The Story of Kullervo · The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
Translations and academic works Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo · Finn and Hengest ·
The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays · Beowulf and the Critics · Tolkien On Fairy-stories ·
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary · A Secret Vice · The Battle of Maldon
Collected letters and poems The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien · The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien
Edited old texts A Middle English Vocabulary · Sir Gawain and the Green Knight · Ancrene Wisse · The Old English Exodus
Books by other authors
Biographies J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography · The Inklings · Tolkien and the Great War
Reference works The Complete Guide to Middle-earth · The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide
Scholarly studies The Road to Middle-earth · The Keys of Middle-earth · The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion ·
The Ring of Words · A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien · Tolkien's Lost Chaucer ·
Tolkien's Library · Tolkien on Chaucer, 1913-1959
Scholarly journals Tolkien Studies · (The Chronology)
Other works by Tolkien
Linguistic journals Vinyar Tengwar various issues · Parma Eldalamberon issue 11-22
Collections of artwork
and manuscripts
Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien · J.R.R. Tolkien: Life and Legend · J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator ·
The Art of The Hobbit · The Art of The Lord of the Rings · Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth ·
Tolkien: Treasures · J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript
This list is only a selection of works, for a fuller bibliography of Tolkien see here or here. See also a timeline.