Characters in the Hobbit Fan Art Golden Eagles the Hobbit Fan Art

The Hobbit has been inspiring artists and readers for generations, ever since its publication 80 years ago today. Artwise, I've always had a soft spot for The Hobbit; I love that it lends itself equally well to delightful and weighty interpretations. Below, let'southward have a look at how but a few of the unofficial band of "Tolkien artists" have approached Bilbo's story.

In a higher place, Over Hill and Nether Hill by Chris Rahn.

(Click any image to enlarge.)

Alan Lee'due south goblin king: this whole mail service could exist full of Lee's work. He'south truly 1 of the best of our contemporary painters. You'll meet that I restricted myself to just three throughout the mail service…

Queer Lodgings, office of Sam Bosma's groovy series of Hobbit paintings: "I like the eagles a lot. They only benefit in the stories but Tolkien is very conscientious to not make them cute. They are still behemothic raptors that steal livestock and might hunger for a hobbit-sized snack at any time."

Gollum, from Swedish author and illustrator Inger Edelfeldt.

Tim Kirk captures The Riddle Game…

Greg and Tim Hildebrandt made their careers painting Tolkien's world: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

Darrell K. Sweetness'due south eagle'due south nest. Donato Giancola (who now owns this painting) ofttimes credits Darrell with helping to ignite a life-long love of Tolkien's work in him.

Barrels Out of Bond: Ted Nasmith's Barrel Rider.

Donato Giancola'south "expulsion from paradise" take on The Hobbit.

J. R. R. Tolkien'due south ain cartoon of The Hobbit mural.

Roger Garland, with a relaxed Gandalf.

Eleanor Grosch's Bilbo enjoying simple pleasures.

Justin Gerard, who said nearly painting The Hobbit, "I like drawing monsters that are just a little scrap human being, and who have personalities that you might recognize in people you've encountered in your ain adventures, and The Hobbit has the very best of these."

J. R. R. Tolkien

Peter Konig: concept art for Smaug, back when Guillermo del Toro was working on the motion picture.

The whole story told in the circular, by Ian Escobar Loos:

Riddles in the Dark: David Wyatt did a series of bang-up ink drawings for the book's chapter heads.

David T. Wenzel: "Bit the glasses and fissure the plates! / Blunt the knives and bend the forks! / That's what Bilbo Baggins hates."

Cory Godbey's simple yet heroic Bilbo.

Iain McCaig, the man who invented Darth Maul, with a fierce Gandalf.

Super-cute Bilbo and Gandalf past António Quadros.

Greg and Tim Hildebrandt and An Unexpected Political party.

Eric Fraser: "Cheerio!" they cried. "wherever you fare, till your eyries receive yous at the journey'southward end!"

Michael Hague: Rescued From Wolves.

Sam Bosma: "The Dwarves of yore made mighty spells / while hammers vicious like ringing bells / in places deep, where dark things sleep / in hollow halls beneath the fells."

From German illustrator Klaus Ensikat:

The Rankin/Bass animated Hobbit….one of my most favorite movies as a child. (And read-forth tape album.)

A battle scene by Matthew Stewart:

Mikhail Belomlinsky's scratchboard Hobbitses.

John Howe—famous, of form, for being the atomic number 82 artist on the Peter Jackson movies—has a long and wonderful history of painting Middle-earth.