The Art of the Lord of the Rings

J. R. R. Tolkien, Wayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull

$49.99

Hardback

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English

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
18 August 2023

Drawing & drawings; Illustration; Fantasy; Fiction companions; Other Film, TV & Media; Fantasy

A sumptuous full-colour art book containing the complete collection of almost 200 sketches, drawings, paintings and maps created by J.R.R. Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings.

As he wrote The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien’s mental pictures often found expression in drawing, from rough sketches made within the manuscript to more finished illustrations. Only a few of these were meant for publication; most were aids to help Tolkien conceive his complex story and keep it consistent. Many do not illustrate the final text, but represent moments of creation, illuminating Tolkien’s process of writing and design. In addition to pictorial sketches, numerous maps follow the development of the Shire and the larger landscape of Middle-earth, while inscriptions in runes and Elvish script, and ‘facsimile’ leaves from the burned and blood-stained Book of Mazarbul, support Tolkien’s pose as an ‘editor’ or ‘translator’ of ancient records.

The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien collects these drawings, inscriptions, maps, and plans in one volume. More than 180 images are included, all of them printed in colour from high-quality scans and photographs. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, two of the world’s leading Tolkien scholars, have edited the book and provide an expert introduction and comments. Readers who have enjoyed The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, with which the book is uniform, will find much of interest also in The Art of The Lord of the Rings.

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Edited by: Wayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull
Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 261mm, Width: 261mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 1.370kg
ISBN: 9780008601416
ISBN 10: 0008601410
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 18 August 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 60 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide. Christina Scull is the former librarian of Sir John Soane's Museum, London. She is the author of 'The Soane Hogarths' (1991), edits the journal 'The Tolkien Collector', and frequently writes and speaks about Tolkien. Her husband, Wayne G. Hammond, is Assistant Librarian in the Chapin Library of Rare Books, Williams College, author of the standard bibliography of Tolkien's works, 'J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography' (1993), and a regular contributor of Tolkien's notes to the journal 'Mythlore'. He also lectures on the history of printing and illustration and is a practising book designer and graphic artist - making him the ideal co-author of the acclaimed study of Tolkien's paintings and drawings, 'J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator'. The couple live in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Wayne G Hammond is a librarian at the Chapin Library of Rare Books at Williams College Massachusetts. He is the author of The Graphic Art of C.B. Falls (1892), J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography (1993), and regular notes on Tolkien in the journal Mythlore. Christina Scull is the former librarian of Sir John Soane's Museum, London. She is the author of The Soane Hogarths (1991), edits the journal The Tolkien Collector, and frequently writes and speaks about Tolkien. Together, Wayne and Christina have written the two-volume J.R.R. TOLKIEN COMPANION & GUIDE and edited Tolkien's ROVERANDOM and FARMER GILES OF HAM 50th anniversary edition.

Reviews for The Art of the Lord of the Rings

‘How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?’ THE GUARDIAN ‘Demanding to be compared with English mythologies… at times rises to the greatness of true myth’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘A creation of singular beauty… magnificent in its best moments’ WASHINGTON POST