The LR illustrations Tolkien almost approved

[jallanite]

I agree with Mithalwen.

I suspect that Fairburn not showing Galadriel’s ears and, at least in the art shown on the web, avoiding showing other Elves at a size which would reveal their ear shape is an attempt on her part to avoid details that Tolkien does not specify in his text. I do not say this is wrong, either.

But that Tolkien was normally polite and that he did not normally write down any criticism he might of had of the art of others, perhaps in part because of an awareness of his own perceived defects as an artist, has led to many pieces Tolkien-inspired art being inaccurate or arguable.

Cor Blok’s Tolkien art has in recent years become well known in part because it is known that Tolkien generally approved of it. But even Blok admits that his depiction of Gollum is not in accord with what Tolkien relates and apologizes for it. See http://www.corblok.com/wp-content/uploads/Cor-Blok-2.jpg and http://www.corblok.com/wp-content/up...Cor-Blok-4.jpg . Tolkien must have noticed this, but it is not recorded that he said anything about it.

Pauline Baynes in the illustrations for The Adventures of Tom Bombadil has an illustration in which she shows Farmer Maggot and his family, but they are wearing slippers which goes against Tolkien’s general rule that Hobbits do not wear footwear. Father Maggot also sports a beard, more prominent than the down that Tolkien relates that many Stoors had on their chin. And Tom is here shown as the same size as the hobbits although in Fellowship, page 119, Tolkien writes that Tom: “… was too large and heavy for a hobbit, if not quite tall enough for one of the Big People, ….” See http://users.bestweb.net/~jfgm/Mushr...adilBaynes.jpg . Also Tom and two of Maggot’s daughters are shown vigorously dancing but no music is shown being played. Perhaps Baynes has forgotten that Tolkien’s Middle-earth makes no mention of the invention of radio or we are supposed to imagine a fiddler just off the frame of the picture.

I suppose that Tolkien may have approved this illustration because the spirit behind it was excellent and it is an excellent illustration in many ways, though inaccurate.

From a post at http://middleearthnews.com/2013/01/0...books-to-life/ :

It wasn’t always easy for Pauline to interpret Tolkien’s imaginings into illustrations. In fact, when asked to clarify a detail he would often tell her to ‘Do whatever you think is best’.

One part of the story I find delightful is that Tolkien found Pauline’s interpretation of his work exactly right despite the fact that Pauline herself, never read The Lord of the Rings. When Tolkien asked Pauline to produce a cover for the trilogy she was at a loss, knowing nothing of the characters or what they looked like. But Pauline’s sister Angela was a fan of Tolkien and painted a picture of Middle-earth for Pauline. The similarities between Angela’s painting and Pauline’s cover for The Lord of the Rings are striking.