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Museum-Quality Matte Paper Print available in two sizes:
12" x 16" (30cm x 40cm): $35.00
24" x 32" (60cm x 80cm): $48.00
"'I thank you indeed, Gildor Inglorion,' said Frodo bowing. 'Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo, a star shines on the hour of our meeting,' he added in the high-elven speech.
'Be careful, friends!' cried Gildor laughing. 'Speak no secrets! Here is a scholar in the Ancient Tongue...Hail, Elf-friend!' he said, bowing to Frodo." - The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 3: Three is Company
This original painting of Frodo, Sam, and Pippin encountering Gildor Inglorion and his folk in the Woody End of the Shire represents one of those shining moments in The Lord of the Rings that show why J.R.R. Tolkien’s brand of Faërie is unequaled by any other lore. It is a scene of pure enchantment, offering the hobbits wonder, protection, and counsel. If Professor Tolkien’s elven beauty lights up your heart, here are some things you might enjoy noticing in a museum-quality print of this sparkling moment:
In part, this painting pays tribute to the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Robert Hughes' famous masterpiece, "Midsummer Eve”. I’ve always wished the Pre-Raphelites could have painted from Tolkien’s legendarium, and love that he was acquainted with the family of William Morris, who was a central figure in the Arts & Crafts movement in England. If you compare my composition to Hughes’, you will see the homage being offered in admiration of that painter’s gifted use of lighting.
The light here, of course, comes from the elves, and instead of the grass being filled with tiny people, it is filled with autumn wildflowers in like colors, such as fox-and-cubs, toadflax, St. John's wort, daises, and harebells.
Gildor and his folk are taking a leisurely starlit stroll through the Shire, and he calls to them to take note of the hobbits when Frodo greets him with "Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo" (“a star shines on the hour of our meeting”). Frodo earns the very special honorific “elf-friend” for his graciousness.
Later, Gildor will remark that this meeting in the woods may be “more than chance”, meaning that the hand of Eru appears to be at work. Even though Frodo has just set out on his journey, the great and wise are already appearing to offer him aid.
Though the beauty of Tolkien’s elves has sometimes been described as “unearthly”, I have come to think of a term I prefer: utter-earthly. The fate of the elves is tied to Arda, and the starlight, moonlight, trees, and seas we associate with them are the glories of our own Middle-earth that we can enjoy every day, right in our own home Shires or on our own travels if we have the eyes of elf-friends. Why not celebrate the wonder of this by bringing home a print or giving one as a gift to a special friend of yours?