The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Celtic Elves? Jackson’s design and the Elves of the films

jallanite · 11-19-2013, 09:42 PM

The use of art nouveau ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau ) as an indication of elvish-style naturalism is a commonplace, not only connected to Tolkien’s art. Art nouveau owes much to Celtic designs, though NogrodtheGreat does not mention it by name.

See Anne Podles’ article on “Tolkien & the New Art” at http://www.touchstonemag.com/archive...id=15-01-041-f . I think she is pushing her thesis over strongly.

That Tolkien much appreciated art nouveau appears from his own art, some of which was published in the original Hobbit. The leaf clusters on the trees in Tolkien’s illustration “Bilbo Comes to the Huts of the Raftelves” have been noted for their art nouveau quality and the picture as a whole for its art nouveau quality. See http://aidanmoher.com/blog/wp-conten...d_tolkien.jpeg .

See also this poster http://www.posterparty.com/images/lo...ter-WG2931.jpg , not by Tolkien.

NogrodtheGreat seems to be pushing what he gets from Celtic art or what Dimitri Fimi gets from it, or some of both, onto the film-makers, possibly wrongly. I am really uncertain what he would expect Rivendell or Lothlórien art and architecture to be like if not as in the films, which most satisfies most people, so far as I can see.

Simply calling the use of art nouveau as misleading leads nowhere.

11-19-2013, 09:42 PM	#5
jallanite Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 479	The use of art nouveau ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau ) as an indication of elvish-style naturalism is a commonplace, not only connected to Tolkien’s art. Art nouveau owes much to Celtic designs, though NogrodtheGreat does not mention it by name. See Anne Podles’ article on “Tolkien & the New Art” at http://www.touchstonemag.com/archive...id=15-01-041-f . I think she is pushing her thesis over strongly. That Tolkien much appreciated art nouveau appears from his own art, some of which was published in the original Hobbit. The leaf clusters on the trees in Tolkien’s illustration “Bilbo Comes to the Huts of the Raftelves” have been noted for their art nouveau quality and the picture as a whole for its art nouveau quality. See http://aidanmoher.com/blog/wp-conten...d_tolkien.jpeg . See also this poster http://www.posterparty.com/images/lo...ter-WG2931.jpg , not by Tolkien. NogrodtheGreat seems to be pushing what he gets from Celtic art or what Dimitri Fimi gets from it, or some of both, onto the film-makers, possibly wrongly. I am really uncertain what he would expect Rivendell or Lothlórien art and architecture to be like if not as in the films, which most satisfies most people, so far as I can see. Simply calling the use of art nouveau as misleading leads nowhere.