The Art Of The Hobbit By J.r.r. Tolkien

From Booklist As Tolkien fans mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of The Hobbit and await the first film in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, following his triumphant Lord of the Rings epic, they can peruse the profoundly imaginative writer’s artwork for his first published novel. Coauthors Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull continue their championing of Tolkien’s artistry, launched with J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator (1995), with this handsome and informative showcase for the sketches, plans, drawings, maps, and paintings—many never before published or reproduced in color—that Tolkien created as he refined his vision and readied his manuscript for publication. Readers can see Tolkien clarifying his layout of the village of Hobbiton, based on prehistoric European lake settlements, and creating the dramatic landscapes his characters traverse based on his walking tour through the Swiss Alps. Tolkien’s Hobbit illustrations, Hammond and Scull attest in their consistently intriguing commentary, are “among the finest work he achieved as an artist.” Tolkien’s intimate and inventive handmade creations stand in evocative contrast to cinematic opulence. --Donna Seaman “A splendid introduction to Tolkien the artist . . . Editors and experts Hammond and Scull walk through the classic book's publication history, providing context for the over 100 pieces of artwork, some never before published, which the author prepared to accompany his account of Bilbo Baggins's adventures.” – Publishers Weekly — J.R.R. Tolkien’s complete artwork for The Hobbit , presented for the first time in celebration of the 75th anniversaryWhen J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit , he was already an accomplished amateur artist, and drew illustrations for his book while it was still in manuscript. The Hobbit as first printed had ten black-and-white pictures, two maps, and binding and dust jacket designs by its author. Later, Tolkien also painted five scenes for color plates, which comprise some of his best work. His illustrations for The Hobbit add an extra dimension to that remarkable book, and have long influenced how readers imagine Bilbo Baggins and his world.Written and edited by leading Tolkien experts Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, The Art of the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien showcases the complete artwork created by the author for his story—including related pictures, more than one hundred sketches, drawings, paintings, maps, and plans. Some of these images are published here for the first time, others for the first time in color, allowing Tolkien’s Hobbit pictures to be seen completely and more vividly than ever before. J.R.R. TOLKIENxa0(1892–1973) is the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic and extraordinary works of fiction as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.WAYNE G. HAMMOND is a leading expert on Tolkien and coauthor of the acclaimed The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion , and The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide withxa0Christina Scull. Read more