J.R.R. Tolkien Estate Releases Rarely-Seen Illustrations From the Author

The estate for J.R.R. Tolkien has released a new website that includes paintings and illustrations from Tolkien not previously available to the public. They can be browsed for free, including paintings, maps, and calligraphy. The website also includes letters, video clips, photographs, and more.

The estate explains that maps were an “integral part of Tolkien’s world-building” and that he drew them as he wrote his novels. The maps included range from broad maps of the world to ones with a more narrow focus, like the Shire.