(Click second thumbnail above to watch video)
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
“This time he was allowed to climb on to an eagle's back and cling between his wings. The air rushed over him and he shut his eyes. The dwarves were crying farewells and promising to repay the Lord of the Eagles if ever they could, as off rose fifteen great birds from the mountain's side. The sun was still close to the eastern edge of things. The morning was cool, and mists were in the valleys and hollows and twined here and there about the peaks and pinnacles of the hills.” - The Hobbit, Chapter VII: Queer Lodgings
One of the great hopes in Middle-earth that J.R.R. Tolkien bestows is that the Great Eagles may come just when we need them most. Here, we see Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves sailing off towards the morning sun in the Misty Mountains, holding tight to the backs of these magnificent birds who are the messengers of the Vala, Manwë, the Lord of the Winds.
If tokens of hope are what you need right now, hanging your print of this original hand-done painting in your home could be a source of encouragement. You can count all fifteen of the eagles if you look closely, and you can have an eagle's eye view of this majestic region of Middle-earth as the eagles carry the travelers between the arms of the Misty Mountain range, off towards the Carrock.
J.R.R. Tolkien's own beautiful illustration of the eagles' eyrie for The Hobbit contains a little mystery. He painted Bilbo wearing boots, but we do not know where Bilbo got this footwear. Perhaps the dwarves cobbled him a pair, or he was kitted out at the Last Homely House by Elrond and his folk. While some hobbits did own boots, they were not common in the Westfarthing. Bilbo must have found them quite useful in the craggy Misty Mountains that were so different from the soft meadows of home.
As you can see in my own rendition, Mr. Baggins has taken his boots off. He is hiding them underneath himself as he clings to the eagle's back. This is my nod to the fact that Bilbo didn't know what might happen next on his adventure, and that he might have tried to keep his comforting boots safe from, perhaps, flying off his feet as he sailed through the air. Life can feel a bit like this sometimes, but as we know, the eagles deliver Thorin & Company safely to their destination.
I believe J.R.R. Tolkien took a great deal of joy in communicating the possibility that eagles may come to our rescue. It's a good thing to think about.