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 put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament.....there you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter No. 43
 
This portrait of J.R.R. Tolkien entering St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church in Oxford is one I have painted as a Lenten devotional work. Tolkien was a daily communicant at this church, meaning that this portrait portrays a scene that would have been integral to his day-to-day life. Recognition of the Roman Catholic theology which sits at the heart of such works as The Lord of the Rings is a source of inspiration and encouragement for many Tolkien readers.
 
Once it was not uncommon for people to display ornamental busts of historic figures in their homes as a source of inspiration. If Tolkien's writings have assisted you in your faith, hanging a museum-quality print of this original hand-done painting may be a continuous source of encouragement for you.
 
Details about this painting:
 
Tolkien readers will quickly recognize the symbolism of the two trees, one lit with a silvery light and the other with gold, suggesting the two trees that lit Valinor in ancientry.
Inside the church, you glimpse candles which represent both the suffering and hopes of human existence. There is also a statue. Dr. Ordway, author of Tolkien's Faith, has kindly confirmed for me that it represents St. Teresa, the first female Doctor of the Catholic Church. The fact that she holds a book in her hand seemed to me a very happy coincidence in a portrait of an author.  
Catholicism lies at the heart of Professor Tolkien's fiction, but it is more private, and the choice is left up to the reader whether or not to follow him through that door into the sacred. Those who feel called to follow him there may find rich and meaningful depth and guidance.
St. Aloysius was built in 1875 in a critical step towards re-establishing a Roman Catholic community in Oxford following centuries of persecution and amid oppressive legislation against the faith. In the 1990s, the church became the Oxford Oratory - an offshoot of the Birmingham Oratory, whose joyful and merry community raised young John Ronald when he was orphaned. You can attend Mass there virtually, and the music may be the most beautiful you will ever hear in any church, featuring works by such composers as Tallis and Byrd. It very much reminds me of Tolkien's reference to chant in describing the music of the elves.
 
This painting was debuted in conjunction with a companion piece, "C.S. Lewis at Holy Trinity, Oxford". Admirers of both authors may wish to display both paintings as a diptych, which permits the viewer to see these two great friends looking at one another while attending to their parallel but distinct devotions. C.S. Lewis credited the Catholic J.R.R. Tolkien with vital assistance towards his own conversion to Anglicanism. In turn, J.R.R. Tolkien expressed that, without the encouragement of Lewis, he might never have published his great legendarium. The ecumenism and fellowship of these two men in a society that strongly discouraged such relationships is an example of bridge-building that can be emulated by Christians of all denominations.