If you are of a certain age (and sadly, we all are “of a certain age”), you might remember the ’60s-era editions of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series. Like many books of the day, these boasted oddly alien landscapes that had little to do with the stories inside. Still, they were trippy little scenes. And, as it turns out, were part of a larger illustration rarely seen in its entirety.
And now, four decades on, you can actually own the original concept art for those covers, courtesy of that global garage sale: eBay. For just £25,000 (about $41,000), you can purchase this Barbara Remington original, which is 11″ x 11″, gouache on card, and “glued on illustration board with the original Ballantine stock sticker on the reverse.”
If your original-art budget doesn’t stretch quite that far, we note that eBay’s “Make Offer” button awaits your suggestion of a more manageable price.
