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I had the opportunity to have a quick look at the epub version of this new (published Oct 2019) art book, so here I share some first impressions with those who feel an interest in such new publications.
The official synopsis (I'm quoting) reads as follows:
What you get for your £30.00 (apr. €34.00 or US$37.00) is image art, essentially. It does go accompanied by explanations from David Day, but their use seems limited to placing the images into context; it did not appear to me that their intention was to offer a deeper understanding of JRRT's literature. Pure literature amateurs may therefore find themselves poorly compensated for their coin, but on the other hand, there's a lot of fine visual in it for art lovers who appreciate it.
Speaking of which: my own appreciation may be a bit biased, being more of the literature type. I regretted the logic of ordering the artwork by theme and not by chronology, which means that you can't simply turn its pages one-by-one as you progress in your reading of TS, TH or LotR. You'd have to check through the book if there's a corresponding image to what you're currently reading. From the point of view of art lovers however this order is probably making much more sense. The shear number of artists makes it a real "melting pot" of different styles.
Artwork is grouped along the following themes:
The official synopsis (I'm quoting) reads as follows:
Tolkien's works have inspired artists for generations and have given rise to myriad interpretations of the rich and magical worlds he created.
The Illustrated World of Tolkien gathers together artworks and essays from expert illustrators, painters and etchers, and fascinating and scholarly writing from renowned Tolkien expert David Day, and is an exquisite reference guide for any fan of Tolkien's work, Tolkien's world and the imaginative brilliance his vision inspired.
What you get for your £30.00 (apr. €34.00 or US$37.00) is image art, essentially. It does go accompanied by explanations from David Day, but their use seems limited to placing the images into context; it did not appear to me that their intention was to offer a deeper understanding of JRRT's literature. Pure literature amateurs may therefore find themselves poorly compensated for their coin, but on the other hand, there's a lot of fine visual in it for art lovers who appreciate it.
Speaking of which: my own appreciation may be a bit biased, being more of the literature type. I regretted the logic of ordering the artwork by theme and not by chronology, which means that you can't simply turn its pages one-by-one as you progress in your reading of TS, TH or LotR. You'd have to check through the book if there's a corresponding image to what you're currently reading. From the point of view of art lovers however this order is probably making much more sense. The shear number of artists makes it a real "melting pot" of different styles.
Artwork is grouped along the following themes:
- In the Beginning
- Peoples Races and Kingdoms
- Beasts and Dragons
- Sanctuaries Castles and Fortresses
- Battles Wars and Worriers
- Victor Ambrus
- Graham Bence
- John Blanche
- Jaroslav Bradac
- Allan Curless
- Sally Davies
- Jon Davis
- Michael Foreman
- Linda Garland
- Melvyn Grant
- Sam Hadley
- David Kearney
- Pauline Martin
- Mauro Mazzara
- Ian Miller
- Andrew Mockett
- Turner Mohan
- Andrea Piparo
- Sue Porter
- Lidia Postma
- Kip Rasmussen
- David Roberts
- Šárka Škorpíková
- Jamie Whyte
