Do Balrogs Have Wings?

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Yes, Nasmith's Balrogs are not so good - though I'm very fond of much of his other work. Actually, though, I'm not that satisfied with a lot of Balrog art - this is one area where I think the Hildebrandts, John Howe, and Alan Lee are not up to their usual standard.

But how do you properly capture the image of a creature described in terms like "shadow", whose chief defining physical trait (wings) doesn't actually exist (remember, I'm a no-winger ) or at least isn't conclusively supported, and who is described as by Tolkien as having no need to speak as it's mere presence was fearful. In the same way as it had no need of a voice, it really had no need of a particular form (although it did have one) to evoke its terror. It simply WAS terror.

How do you evoke "terror" in a visual image?

I don't know the answer, but the answer of many artists would seem to be to fall back on motifs familiar to us as evil, such as horns and pointed tails (and wings? )