#pauline baynes

[moonwaterstories]

The chronicles of Narnia illustrations

-by Pauline Baynes x x x x

[uwmspeccoll]

Milestone Monday

March 25th is Tolkien Reading Day, a day to honor the literary prowess of J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) author of acclaimed high fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien has shared that the seeds of inspiration for his novels came from his childhood fascination and experimentation with constructed language and a 1911 Summer holiday hiking through Switzerland. Roughly fourteen years after his Swiss adventure, Tolkien would write The Hobbit and the first two volumes of Lord of the Rings while teaching in Oxford.  

Stepping slightly away from Tolkien’s novels, today we’re digging into our broadside collection and sharing Bilbo’s Last Song (At Grey Havens), a poem about leaving Middle-Earth. It first appeared, as seen here, as a poster published in 1974 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd., the original English publisher of his famous novels, with illustrations by Pauline Baynes (1922-2008), who illustrated many of Tolkien's publications. Chronologically, the poem takes place at the end of the last volume of Lord of the Rings, however it was never included in the series. 

Read other Milestone Monday posts here! 

– Jenna, Special Collections Graduate Intern 

[glorf1ndel]

September 9 was the birthday of Pauline Baynes (1922-2008), who illustrated Tolkien’s works! She was the first illustrator for The Adventures of Tom Bombadil; she drew covers for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; and she is also well known for her illustrated map of Middle Earth. Check out her beautiful work! 💚

[enchantedbook]

'The Silver Chair' from the Chronicles of Narnia, illustration by Pauline Baynes

[gilgalahad]

Sam, Pippin and Merry watch the ring bearers depart Middle-earth forever By Pauline Baynes

[whats-in-a-sentence]

He wore a tiny little rapier at his side and twirled his long whiskers as if they were a moustache.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" - C. S. Lewis

[a-book-of-creatures]

Cover for William Croft Dickinson’s Borrobil (knight charging up the hill on the back cover). Art by Pauline Baynes, who you may know as “the Narnia artist”.

[tenth-sentence]

Lucy felt that at any moment she would begin to understand what the trees were trying to say.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" - C. S. Lewis

[knickknackgalore]

Smith of Wootton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien and Illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

[domonicriley]

I love Pauline Baynes's illustrations for the Chronicles of Narnia. They're beautifully simple and complement Lewis's writing style perfectly.

Does anyone know if Baynes coloured these pieces herself, or is that a later addition? I imagine the first editions would be black and white.

[oh-dear-so-queer]

His name was Reepicheep and he was a gay and martial mouse.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" - C. S. Lewis

[monkeyssalad-blog]

1950 illustration by Pauline Baynes by totallymystified Via Flickr: ‘The land of Christmas plays' from Holly Leaves magazine. Fifteen pantomimes are depicted in this illustration; can you name them?

[mervynbunter]

The Magician’s Nephew (1955) illustrated by Pauline Baynes

[fionamccall]

Pauline Baynes at Mottisfont

I think Pauline Baynes was channelling Hieronymus Bosch and the medieval doom painting tradition with this illustration from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  Good thing that her husband Otto Gasch, quote, was ‘completely tolerant of his wife’s obsession to draw’.  This is what women have historically had to deal with - and she was still brilliant!

Pauline Baynes, illustration for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, exhibition, Mottisfont.

[smbhax]

Cover illustration by Pauline Baynes

(Cover artist seems to be misidentified in most editions on isfdb--except for this one; I've submitted a change to them for their consideration on the Unwin Paperbacks edition and noted that other editions may also need to be similarly updated)

[strvngevsvngels]

“And oh, the cry of the seagulls! Have you ever heard it? Can you remember?”

Cair Paravel

Pauline Baynes, Illustration for the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, 1950