Tolkien Estate Shares Free Archive of Rare Art by Legendary Author

Find creative inspiration from the iconic Lord of the Rings writer in this library of formerly unseen works, including paintings, maps of Middle-earth, and more

While building Middle-earth and its surrounding realms, author J. R. R. Tolkien drew hundreds of illustrations and maps. Now, the Tolkien Estate has released a selection of rare artworks that bring The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to life in a whole new way. If you’re a fantasy writer or artist, you won’t want to miss it.

Here’s our guide to what you can find in the archive, and how to navigate it. But first, we’ll look back at who Tolkien was, and the historic books that earned him the nickname “the father of modern fantasy”.