(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
"And so at last they all came to the Last Homely House, and found its doors flung wide…Bilbo would gladly have stopped there for ever and ever – even supposing a wish would have taken him right back to his hobbit-hole without trouble."- The Hobbit, Chapter III: A Short Rest
What did Rivendell really look like? J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision is, of course, authoritative and this original painting is faithfully based on enlarging and sketching from the author’s own drawings and paintings. In 1911, Tolkien took an unforgettable trip to Switzerland and the Lauterbrunnen Valley became his glorious inspiration for the setting of The Last Homely House.
Details to notice in this picture include:
This view of Rivendell comprises one large front building made of stone with a terracotta roof and a limed front porch with a golden roof. A large square tower rises from the back side of the upper roof. Behind this building stands a second dwelling built of wood.
Tolkien’s Rivendell architecture is based on medieval and Renaissance Swiss architecture.
In considering who might have been at Rivendell at the time of The Hobbit, we see Gildor Inglorion in the foreground with a silver lantern, while Elladan and Elrohir delight in showing their own silver and golden lanterns to little Bilbo. Master Elrond greets his old friend Gandalf, and the almost-angelic Glorfindel is coming up the path behind him.
It is near Midsummer, and Elrond’s folk are out upon the lawns and in the gardens singing to the stars.
Many members of the Tolkien community cite Rivendell as the place they would most love to visit in Middle-earth. I have hoped to capture the utter wonder Bilbo felt in coming out of the dark mountains to this haven of lore and hospitality. If you are working hard at becoming a Middle-earth loremaster, hanging this painting in your home or office could be a source of inspiration and encouragement.