The Illustrated Bond

J.R.R. Tolkien and Pauline Baynes

Words by Tom Nicholson

Pauline Baynes had “reduced my text to a commentary on her drawings”, Tolkien said. Her illustrations brought his world to life, while his work allowed her to use her witty creativity to weave out the images within the reader’s minds. With Baynes’s careful attention to detail, she used Tolkien’s material to convey her subtlety and sympathy through her art. Baynes’s inventive style allowed the illustrations to burst beyond the borders of the page, allowing her imagination to create the intricate and beautiful drawings we see today. The maps of middle earth. The dragon within the lonely mountain. The journey from Rivendell to the undying land. The front covers and medieval marginalia are all entwined by Baynes to create the ideal fantasy world that lay within Tolkien’s and the reader’s minds eye, only to be turned into a visual reality by one illustrator.

Tolkien’s unmatched world-building and richness to detail connected with Baynes’s elegant illustrations convey how this literature bond is a powerhouse within fantasy fiction. Their collaboration spanned decades, with her creating art for the weighty and deep field mythology of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and the ‘Hobbit’, while also illustrating Tolkien’s smaller works, such as ‘Farmer Giles of Ham’. Her illustrations and his writing style bridged Tolkien’s fantasy worlds together, interconnecting them and giving them synergy. This author and illustrator bond is loved by fans, as their art partnership erupts a first-time reader into Tolkien’s world, while long-time readers feel nostalgic when seeing the story and the pictures together.

Lewis Carroll and John Tenniel

Words by Olivia Nilsen

As a child, I grew up surrounded by books: before I could even read, I loved them - the smell, the way the pages felt between my fingers, and how valuable they felt. One of my favourites was a beautiful hardcover copy of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll. The pictures were so captivating to me as a child and the style stood out in comparison to the other illustrations I had seen. I didn’t learn until I was much older that John Tenniel was the artist responsible for the art in magical novel. His art brought the story to life, whether that be Alice sharing tea with the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit or her standing in front of a mushroom surrounded by plumes of smoke from the Caterpillar. The story acted as a source of inspiration creatively for me: the fantastical nature of the story was so impactful that it motivated me to write my own stories about magical things. The story of Alice in Wonderland is well known across the globe, thus making the artwork some of the most recognisable in the world. Tenniel’s illustrations, paired with Carroll’s celebrated storytelling, has made for an iconic legacy that has inspired a wide range of artists in every medium imaginable. Personally, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ holds a special place in my heart because it is just one of the many stories that contributed to my deep love of literature.

A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard

Words by Meg Burgess

The tales of Winnie the Pooh have been told to children for decades, with the colourful cast of characters being easily recognisable for everyone familiar with tales of our favourite bear. However, the illustrious success of A.A. Milne’s tales would not have been so great without the artworks from E.H. Shepard, also known for his work on children’s tale The Wind in the Willows.

A.A Milne’s work perfectly captures the curiosity and wonder of a child through the characters of Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore (to name a few!). The tales teach children the importance of friendship and discovery, as well as identifying key emotional reactions recognisable for children through the characters.

Shepard’s work is particularly fitting for Milne’s tales, encapsulating how a child views the world. The illustrations accompanying the tales are full of colour and drawn in simple lines, easy for children to understand and recognise the characters. Despite its varied colour palette, the colours are muted and easy on the eyes – making the images pleasant to look at, especially important for bedtime stories.

The best part of Shepard’s work is his ability to emulate Milne’s characters perfectly. From Pooh’s iconic yellow to Piglet’s striped design, others have taken their own interpretations of these beloved characters and sketched them into their own lives, from tattoos to t-shirts. Images of Milne’s characters have permeated so much of pop culture and will continue to do so as long as children’s stories exist.