The Art Of The Lord Of The Rings By J.r.r. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien was a talented artist as well as a writer, and throughout his life he produced dozens of drawings and paintings, many of which display the same sense of wonder and delight that make his books so enjoyable. In the 1970s a collection of his finished work dealing with Middle-earth was published as Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien. Wayne G.Hammond and Christina Scull, who are among the most authoritative of Tolkien scholars, have already edited J.R.R. Tolkien Artist and Illustrator, which contains a wide range of his work from throughout his life; as well as The Art of The Hobbit, concentrating on the paintings and drawings he produced for his first book. The Art of the Lord of the Rings is a beautiful companion to these earlier publications and is especially valuable in that it contains many heretofore unpublished sketches and drawings that allow us to better understand how Tolkien came to create his best loved tale.A major difference between The Art of the Lord of the Rings and earlier collections of Tolkien's art is that it contains many pieces which were never intended to be published, and indeed were meant only as aids to Tolkien's imagination as he analyzed the appropriate settings for his characters.Other works were drawn and finished by Tolkien for his own private amusement, while still others, usually rune transcriptions, were eventually to be included in the published text. Other pieces, including "pages" from the Book of Mazarbul and the "King's Letter" from the abandoned Epilogue, Tolkien also meant to include in the finished book, but were eventually left out for cost reasons. Perhaps the most important of the pieces which Tolkien never meant to be published are the many maps he produced as his story developed. Ever the reviser and perfectionist, Tolkien was always writing and rewriting his story, changing names and adding and dropping characters over many years. He realized right away that maps were essential, and he added on to and continually revised what had originally been a fairly small map until it became a cartographic giant. Then as his story expanded further more maps were needed, and they also came in for extensive editing and review. All of these maps are included here, and it is fascinating to examine them and see where Tolkien changed names, added new details, and sometimes erased. Similarly fascinating are the small sketches, some very detailed while others almost doodled, which he scribbled between the lines and along the margins of the pages of his manuscript (for which he often used discarded student papers and other ordinary communications. These were meant to help him envision his story and work out what his characters were to do next.Some of the more finished works included here have already been published in the collections I mentioned earlier and in some of the calendars produced over the years, but "Old Man Willow," "Lothlorien in Spring," Barad-dur," "The Hill of Hobbiton" and "Rivendell" are enhanced by Hammond and Scull's careful discussions. Throughout the book Tolkien's relentless perfectionism is always on display. He created version after version of the Ring inscription, for example, before he finally developed one which was exactly right. It's that careful attention to detail that helps give Tolkien's writings their enormous appeal, and Hammond and Scull's similar dedication is evident on every page of this work. The Art of the Lord of the Rings is doubly a labor of love, first by Tolkien himself, and then by the editors. This work will immediately become an essential part of the libraries of all of us who love Middle-earth.

Beautiful and well bound volume. I was lucky enough to be able to attend an exhibition of this artwork in Oxford, and this book brought back great memories. The accompanying text in this volume puts the sketches into context perfectly.

This book is excellent for a true Tolkien fan! If you want a deeper look into the mind of our favorite author, this book presents that.The images are indeed all high quality - unlike some books who promise quality but deliver certain pages full of pixels and disappointment.This book is not as artistic as it is descriptive; the images which are true illustrations are sparse when compared with the drawings of maps, drafts of typography, and so on. There are some gorgeous pencil and watercolor sketches, but overall this book presents many maps that allow us to get a clearer grasp of Middle Earth. Every image is discussed at some length and gives the reader an understanding of its context and timing in the writing process.There are also some stunning little doodles described - my favorite is the rune used on the box Galadriel gave to Sam - though small, it is a joy to see these types of images.I would highly recommend this book to any map enthusiast and anyone who would like a coffee table book to rival the nerdiest of coffee book tables!I might not recommend this book to someone looking for a scenic art book of Middle Earth, however! It is more analytical than artistic, in my opinion.

Good Product

My favorite book of 2015. As I had the privilege of writing for Dan McCarthy's THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE: While almost every person under the age of 60 recognizes the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythological creations as found in his published writings (which remain among the best selling of all-time best sellers), few realize that this Oxford scholar of Beowulf and all things medieval, this niggler of all Western legends, and this very middle-class husband and father was also an extremely good artist, as well as passable amateur cartographer. Since Tolkien’s death in 1973, five books of his art have appeared, with Hammond and Scull having expertly editing three of them. This most recent, The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, is not only glorious but is also a vital corrective to the cinematic horrors and travesties created by Peter Jackson’s six films. Tolkien, a real master of water colors and fantastic landscapes, fails only in figure drawing. As with his writing style, Tolkien ably matches the style of his art with the subject matter at hand. Hobbiton is ideally agrarian and republican while Mordor is wickedly mechanical and uniform. Most tellingly, however, Tolkien’s art is, somehow, humane. Even after nearly eight decades, his paintings remain fresh and timeless. Rather than shock as so much modern art does, Tolkien’s art simply invites and welcomes.

Gorgeously edited and full of Tolkien nuggets to satisfy any obsessed fan such as myself, this was a book that I poured over and marveled at all of the intricate detailing. There are not as many completed drawings as there were in the The Art of The Hobbit (also a very worthwhile purchase), but its very interesting nonetheless. You get to take a journey into the workings of Tolkien's mind and see how ideas developed and grew or changed over time. The perfect gift for any Tolkien fan in your life, or a treat for yourself!

A little disappointed that the cover is ripped but I’ve been looking forward to this book and the book itself is in good shape. A good addition to my collection.

Uma verdadeira obra de arte

I got this on a whim for my partner who is a huge LOTR fan (I'm talking has read the Silmarillion multiple times and can quote the movies verbatim). She adores it, and really enjoyed reading through it.

Väldigt bra kvalite

Cover is beautiful and the quality is superb! A must have for Tolkien fans

Envoi rapide, livre très bien emballé et très beau, je recommande ++++ Book Depository UK