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mirpanda277's review
4.0
(4.5 stars)
I loved gaining this insight into Tolkien's illustrations and artwork--as well as their context. I'd love to own this book for future reference. Tolkien was one seriously talented man.
I loved gaining this insight into Tolkien's illustrations and artwork--as well as their context. I'd love to own this book for future reference. Tolkien was one seriously talented man.
lightning_revolver's review
5.0
A wonderful look at Tolkien’s art (largely unknown but surprisingly accomplished)! Made me appreciate more of his creative process, and also the work put in by others who have tried to bring his Middle-earth to life.
cantwelljr's review
3.0
I honestly had no idea that Tolkien had illustrated his own books, let alone that he created other art as well. So much of it is really good too! I was very impressed. I also appreciated that the book included unfinished pieces and drafts he did which showed his creative process. I would encourage all Tolkien fans to at least flip through the pictures.
jsjammersmith's review
5.0
It feels like in our culture there is a need to divide artists solely into one camp. An artist cannot write, a writer cannot be a singer, a chef cannot also be a sculptor, and so on until the examples pile up. Yet this does artists disservice because it limits their capacity for expression one sole means, and as Wayne G. Hammond demonstrates in this book the mettle of an artist is made in the way they express themselves, not solely in the single format they traditionally do it.
J.R.R. Tolkien has established a modern aesthetic and mythos through his writing, he's created his own language to accompany this universe, but what sometimes gets forgotten is that the man could also draw. This book was a eye opening experience because, through a careful study of his artwork over the course of his entire life, one can observe how his art served not only as a companion to his writing, but also as a kind of collaborative function. Whether it was his maps, his landscapes, or his interiors of the great halls, Tolkien managed to create Middle Earth as a functioning reality. Hammond shows his reader how each of Tolkien's drawings helped establish his aesthetic, but also how it contributed to the larger creation of Middle Earth and the accompanying mythos.
And just so it's clear, this is an art book dedicated to the art it's trying to bring attention to. Almost every page of this book contains work by Tolkien, accompanied with dates, bibliographic information, and accompanying analysis of the artists growing talent. This is a book dedicated to Tolkien's visual style and reveals that the man was not only a great writer, but also an accomplished artist who experimented with line, texture, color, and form over a long life of fruitful productivity.
Of course I'm biased. I love Lord of the Rings. But as a writer and as an artist, I appreciated the role this book had in further rekindling my love for Tolkien. This book is beautiful from the beginning to the very end and the reader would be foolish not to take the opportunity to read this work.
Mountains, Eagles, dragons, rivers, and even simple patterns are enough to be reminded that Tolkien was never just one thing. Like any true artist, the man contained multitudes.
J.R.R. Tolkien has established a modern aesthetic and mythos through his writing, he's created his own language to accompany this universe, but what sometimes gets forgotten is that the man could also draw. This book was a eye opening experience because, through a careful study of his artwork over the course of his entire life, one can observe how his art served not only as a companion to his writing, but also as a kind of collaborative function. Whether it was his maps, his landscapes, or his interiors of the great halls, Tolkien managed to create Middle Earth as a functioning reality. Hammond shows his reader how each of Tolkien's drawings helped establish his aesthetic, but also how it contributed to the larger creation of Middle Earth and the accompanying mythos.
And just so it's clear, this is an art book dedicated to the art it's trying to bring attention to. Almost every page of this book contains work by Tolkien, accompanied with dates, bibliographic information, and accompanying analysis of the artists growing talent. This is a book dedicated to Tolkien's visual style and reveals that the man was not only a great writer, but also an accomplished artist who experimented with line, texture, color, and form over a long life of fruitful productivity.
Of course I'm biased. I love Lord of the Rings. But as a writer and as an artist, I appreciated the role this book had in further rekindling my love for Tolkien. This book is beautiful from the beginning to the very end and the reader would be foolish not to take the opportunity to read this work.
Mountains, Eagles, dragons, rivers, and even simple patterns are enough to be reminded that Tolkien was never just one thing. Like any true artist, the man contained multitudes.
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