Tolkien, the Artist

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

The characteristic which is absent in them but present in many of the artists which are not admired here is what I would call a "muscular" quality. There's something ethereal in the illustrators we admire and that characteristic is lacking in those we don't. Ethereal and something else, too, something whimsical.

In most of Tolkien's work, strength of body or even that of the mind, is not the emphasis. Rather the focus seems to be strength of character, a trait which is pictured by an more inward and subjective eye. So it would be natural that depictions should be flavored by an inner life and aesthetic not normal to mundane life. To me, the illustrations that do not try to pin the stories to real life, are the most satisfying.

Very interesting article Bethberry! Fun to see that it was written by a former curator of the Walters Art Gallery. I used to send quite a bit of time there.