The Silmarillion aesthetic | M a g l o r
And it is told of Maglor that he could not
endure the pain with which the Silmaril tormented him; and he cast it at last
into the Sea, and thereafter he wandered ever upon the shores, singing in pain
and regret beside the waves. For Maglor was mighty among the singers of old..J.R.R.Tolkien, The Silmarillion
Here is my most recent illustration. I wanted to take a stab at painting one of the most iconic locations of Middle Earth. Rivendell, the secret refuge of the Elves.
I really wanted something different that everything that has already been done while also still staying true to my sensibilities on what elvish architecture would look like. Since Elves have such a strong attachment to nature I thought that they would use wood for most of their building.
Classic eastern temples seemed the perfect fit, the curved roofs entirely made out of wood feels very elvish to me while also standing out from the typical western fantasy design.
I wanted the setting to stand out and feel “other-worldy” compared to the typical medieval fantasy architecture usually seen. Combining Eastern temple design with art nouveau elements was both challenging and incredibly fun.
From the outset I knew I wanted this scene to take place in the fall. I wanted the fall foliage to not only symbolize the waning of the elves and their eventual exodus from middle earth, but I also wanted us the viewer to feel like we are right there with Frodo, Sam, Gandalf and the rest of the fellowship as the fate of the ring is decided in the council of Elrond on one of those cool autumn October days.
If you would like to purchase a print here is the link to my online store here
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