Tolkien Calendar 2005

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Summary: J.R.R. Tolkien provides the art for the 2005 LOTR Calendar
Review: "The Tolkien Calendar 2005" is something special because it marks the 50th anniversary of "The Lord of the Rings." Now that Peter Jackson has provided his cinematic version of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy this calendar goes back to the beginning and features 13 paintings and illustrations by Tokien himself, some of which have not appeared in print in years. The paintings are based not only on "The Lord of Rings" but also "The Hobbit" and "The Silmarillion." Since these works represent how Tolkien himself imagined the world of Middle-Earth they have a privileged position in understanding his creation. Each work is accompanied by text which explains both their relationship to the story and what we know about their history.

Tolkien's art ranges from delicate watercolours depicting Rivendell, the Forest of Lothlórien, Smaug and Old Man Willow to drawings and sketches of Moria Gate and Minas Tirith. There is a comprehensive collection of the artwork that Tolkien did for his own books available, but after three decades of enjoying Tolkien calendars from the Brothers Hildebrandt, Ted Naismith, Mike Kaluta and other artists fans of the Trilogy have definitely established a predisposition to see such artwork down in the calendar format (there is a 2005 calendar for "The Tolkien Art of the Brothers Hildebrandt available as well). Fans of the trilogy should appreciate these twin opportunities to walk down memory lane in terms of well remembered artwork done for "The Lord of the Rings."

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Summary: Tolkien's Own Vision
Review: The 50th Anniversary of The Lord of the Rings' publication is being suitably celebrated with this 2005 Tolkien Calendar. All of the illustrations are by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, created while he was working on the book in the 1930s and 1940s. The illustrations have been published before, some in the first few Tolkien calendars in 1972 and 1973, others in Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien in the late 1970s, and all of them in Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond's classic J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator.

Tolkien was a gifted artist and draftsman. Even his doodles, like Shelob's Lair (drawn on a page of manuscript) in October, display a high degree of talent and precision. He was famously finicky about his drawings, insisting that each one should precisely mirror the story. (This led to his cropping some elements of some drawings, like March's Moria Gate, which displays both the full picture and the part that was trimmed off; and totally discarding others, like the abortive cityscape of Steinborg shown for September.) This perfectionism led to some absolutely beautiful productions. I am particularly fond of April's Lothlorien, showing the mallorns in full flower, and of February's view of Rivendell looking east: a tumbled landscape of stone, water, and trees.

Those who have become used to the artwork of others in previous Tolkien calendars, and those whose primary view of Middle earth was shaped by the Peter Jackson films, may be a bit put off by these drawings by Tolkien himself. July's Orthanc, for example, provides a rather modest view of Saruman's tower compared to that seen in the movie. Those of us who are true lovers of Middle earth, however, will find that these drawings are especially beautiful, regardless of any intrinsic aesthetic value, because they allow us to see Tolkien's own vision as it unfolded in his mind and flowed from his pen and brush.

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Summary: Tolkien's eye
Review: This is by far the most satisfying of all Tolkien calendars, because it is the most real and personal rendering of Middle Earth by any artist.

Alan Lee and others have done some good work, but this was Tolkien's world and these are his images. Sure, Orthanc is less severe in Tolkien's imagination than in Jackson's film, but Orthanc was never intended to be portrayed as an evil fortress? Originally built by Men of Gondor, Orthanc served as an impregnable fortress. In Sindarin, it means `Forked Height', in reference to the four pinnacles of `hard, glossy black stone, welded into a single tower five hundred feet high'". It was later deserted as the Dứnedain moved north, and Saruman - ever in need of feeding his ego - took up residence there. For those familiar only with the movies, this drawing might seem like a let down. I hope that I've squared this away somewhat. The movie overdid it.

I have always admired Tolkien, revered him with a sense of awe. He wrote a classic children's novel (The Hobbit) and another less well known children's book, Letters from Father Christmas (which he also illustrated). He wrote one of the most influential novels of the 20th century, The Lord of the Rings, which was not only a remarkable work of literature but spawned an entire genre (and, unfortunately, some rather poor imitators). Beyond that, he wrote remarkable poetry, much of which can be found in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and in The Lays of Beleriand. But wait - there's more. He wrote mythology. Mythology that is to me, at least, more interesting than any existing "real" mythology. I'm referencing The Silmarillion, of course. As if that isn't enough, Tolkien was an accomplished artist, an Oxford don, translated Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and held various chairs throughout his illustrious scholarly career. (Where in the world did he find the time to do all of this?)

As to the calendar, Rivendell's beauty is captivating; Lothlorien is as it should have appeared in the movie; Fangorn, with its dark, oppressing watercolors is frightening and foreboding, a forest one would be wise to avoid; Helm's deep, while less impressive as a work of art, is unique as it offered Tolkien a visual image from which to work while planning this massive battle; the leaves from the book of Mazarbul were perhaps my favorite inclusion, if for no other reason that it caused me to admire Tolkien even more; Minas Tirith, though unfinished, showed signs of grandeur; and the covers that Tolkien himself drew for the three books are better than any I have seen. The drawing for the Two Towers ends the debate of exactly which towers Tolkien was referring to in the title. He drew Minas Morgul and Orthanc. I think he's the expert on this.

Honestly, I'm not sure why The Brother's Hildebrandt bothered to put out a LOTR calendar. I'm sure it had to do with milking the 50th anniversary for all its worth, and that I haven't seen their names on anything of merit in years until the LOTR movies were being made, but their art doesn't come close to depicting the depths of Tolkien's work. They were best served as artists for The Sword of Shannara - which was derivative and shallow. If you're thinking about which calendar to buy, stop thinking right now. This is the real thing - the other is simply Parkay.