Art in Middle Earth.

[Inziladun]

I know embarrassingly little about art in RL, but I would think sculptures and statues would be a lot more durable in the context of Middle-earth technology.

How enduring are the canvases and other surfaces on which the great masterworks we know of rest upon? Aren't they now kept under controlled environmental conditions with that in mind?

[Formendacil]

Even if oil painting on canvas would have been a bit anachronistic in a pre-Renaissance setting, that doesn't mean that visual flat images would have been out of place, as has been noted. Tolkien's comparison of Gondor to the Byzantine Empire makes me think immediately of mosaics. For that matter, Tolkien's comparison of the Númenor to ancient Egypt also makes me think of the rather famous Egyptian 2-dimensional art. Obviously, this doesn't imply an artistic connection, but it certainly removes any charges of anachronism.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Even if oil painting on canvas would have been a bit anachronistic in a pre-Renaissance setting, that doesn't mean that visual flat images would have been out of place, as has been noted. Tolkien's comparison of Gondor to the Byzantine Empire makes me think immediately of mosaics. For that matter, Tolkien's comparison of the Númenor to ancient Egypt also makes me think of the rather famous Egyptian 2-dimensional art. Obviously, this doesn't imply an artistic connection, but it certainly removes any charges of anachronism.

Certainly. Mosaics make me think especially of Elves, Dwarves and all the "high" cultures. But even when it comes to painting, you don't really need oil and canvas for that, certainly - what about frescoes? That is absolutely normal, 100% medieval-European, and would fit nicely. Yet we don't hear much of that either.

I think, given the general concept of Middle-Earth as the place where beautiful things are in the beginning and then things get only older, ruined, destroyed and/or uglier (or not as pretty as they were in the beginning, anyway), painting does not really fit this scheme very well. Painting fades with time, but it is not meant to last very long in the first place. Statues, in the ideal way, would last millenia. Painting won't last very long. So painting, if I generalise it, could at most be only rather "low-rank", not very "reliable" form of art. Maybe made for the moment, but not to endure. That would explain why the narration or the characters do not pay it very much attention, if any.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I think, given the general concept of Middle-Earth as the place where beautiful things are in the beginning and then things get only older, ruined, destroyed and/or uglier (or not as pretty as they were in the beginning, anyway), painting does not really fit this scheme very well. Painting fades with time, but it is not meant to last very long in the first place. Statues, in the ideal way, would last millenia. Painting won't last very long. So painting, if I generalise it, could at most be only rather "low-rank", not very "reliable" form of art. Maybe made for the moment, but not to endure. That would explain why the narration or the characters do not pay it very much attention, if any.

That is along the lines of my point, though you've put it more plainly.

When one thinks of Elves and Dwarves, are there instances of them even making complex statues? Their history, especially to the Elves, was something that to them was almost alive on its own anyway. They may have simply thought that such efforts as painting and sculpting were unnecessary; first as a means of remembrance, as their feel of the flowing of time was quite different from mortals, or even for mere joy of creation, as they seemed much more attuned to song as a way of expressing emotion.

We see the Dwarves making simple stone markers, such as the one that indicated where Durin first viewed the Mirrormere, but I can't recall anything more representative of actual historical figures.

[Galadriel55]

I don't think anyone mentioned woodcarving yet? (please forgive me if I'm mistaken) It's something both practical and a form of art; like pottery. I bet you hobbits had some ornate furniture, and if I remember correctly Elrond's cieling had some nice decorative wood, the way Frodo describes it when he wakes up in Rivendell.