Welcome to a new secondary series for Saint Tolkien celebrating the contributions of artists, both professionals and amateurs, to the portrayal of Tolkien’s subcreated world! Each post will feature one artwork, explain what it portrays and give the identity and credit of the artist. And now for the first work in this series:
This work, simply titled “Hobbiton,” was painted by Jef Murray, one of the best artists who have made illustrations of Tolkien’s stories but who sadly passed away in 2015. I picked him to be first because he was a fellow Catholic, a contributor to the Catholic journal St. Austin Review and a Georgia native, where I grew up and where he worked in the Pitt Theology Library at Emory University in Atlanta. In this piece, he shows his great expertise with impressionistic blending of colors, the sfumato technique which makes distant objects fade into a mist and realistic perspective.
Gandalf reclining on a stone bridge leading into Hobbiton shows his deep love and affection for the Shire and the comfort he felt with the hobbits, always appreciating their honesty and humility. As he smokes, he may be contemplating how God is leading him to put these hobbit virtues to the service of Providence by carrying the One Ring as only they could, with their lack of conceit or ambition protecting them from its temptations longer than any other race. But for now, he just takes in the beauty of his environment with peace and gratitude.
(Here is a great interview with Jef Murray: http://www.jefmurray.com/blog/uncategorized/tolkien-brazil-an-interview-with-jef-murray/)
Look out for more in this new series and feel free to like, comment and share with your friends! God bless!