(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
 
“...there in that pleasant corner of the world they plied their well-ordered business of living, and they heeded less and less the world outside where dark things moved, until they came to think that peace and plenty were the rule in Middle-earth and the right of all sensible folk.” - Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, "Concerning Hobbits"
 
Walk down from Bag End into Hobbiton with Bilbo and Frodo Baggins on this sunny afternoon. This original hand-done painting gives a reverse view of the one depicted by J.R.R. Tolkien, and is faithfully based on all of its details. Here, you can see all the way from the grange past the mill across the River and into the rest of the village of Hobbiton.
 
Things to notice in this painting:
 
The milling and storage of grain sits at the center of life in Hobbiton. It's two principal buildings are the grange (in the foreground) and the mill (by the River). You can see pony-carts going back and forth between the two landmarks with sacks of wheat and flour.
Sharp eyes may spot the Sandyman clan at work, including a sight of the "white ogre" of Tolkien's boyhood memory.
Beneath the flowering chestnuts and elder, a market has been set up outside the grange on this day. It is primarily focused on specialties and luxuries, as even poorer families like the Gamgees appear to have plenty of land for the growing of fruits and vegetables.
Bilbo and Frodo sample honey at a beekeeper's stall, where candles, mead, clover, and red currants are also on offer, as are the last stores of the previous autumn's hazelnuts.
Other stalls sell medicinal herbs and flowers, and at the far end of the market, three dandy young hobbit bachelors are treating themselves to a large order of strawberries.
Some of the Gamgees are also down in the village today, which happens to be the birthday of Marigold Gamgee. The birthday celebrant in known as the "byrding", and here we can see that the Gaffer has brought her down to bestow little gifts of flowers on her friends, like the Gammer in the foreground cottage. The Gaffer stands by, offering excellent gardening advice to his neighbor.
Did you spot young Sam Gamgee following the hobbit postman back up to Number 3 Bagshot Row? The Gamgees have been saving up their silver pennies to buy a gentle red chicken as a surprise for Marigold, and Sam has been tasked with fetching it.
Tolkien's original drawing depicts at least one dovecote in the courtyard behind the grange. As I could not show the building from this angle in my painting, you will see how I have paid tribute to this interesting detail with doves perching and flying in the marketplace. 
 
If you've ever wondered what Hobbiton really looked like, Professor Tolkien's own illustrations are authoritative, and it's my hope that this reverse view expands your ability to imagine being there, where life is so good. Hanging a museum-quality print of this original, hand-done painting in your home will let you visit Hobbiton in thought anytime you like.