#pauline baynes

[uwmspeccoll]

Milestone Monday

March 25th is Tolkien Reading Day, a day to honor the literary prowess of J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) author of acclaimed high fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien has shared that the seeds of inspiration for his novels came from his childhood fascination and experimentation with constructed language and a 1911 Summer holiday hiking through Switzerland. Roughly fourteen years after his Swiss adventure, Tolkien would write The Hobbit and the first two volumes of Lord of the Rings while teaching in Oxford.  

Stepping slightly away from Tolkien’s novels, today we’re digging into our broadside collection and sharing Bilbo’s Last Song (At Grey Havens), a poem about leaving Middle-Earth. It first appeared, as seen here, as a poster published in 1974 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd., the original English publisher of his famous novels, with illustrations by Pauline Baynes (1922-2008), who illustrated many of Tolkien's publications. Chronologically, the poem takes place at the end of the last volume of Lord of the Rings, however it was never included in the series. 

Read other Milestone Monday posts here! 

– Jenna, Special Collections Graduate Intern 

[enchantedbook]

'The Silver Chair' from the Chronicles of Narnia, illustration by Pauline Baynes

[whats-in-a-sentence]

But round middle of the guinea-pig there ran a tape, and, tied on to it by the tape, was a bright yellow ring.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew" - C. S. Lewis

[a-book-of-creatures]

Cover for William Croft Dickinson’s Borrobil (knight charging up the hill on the back cover). Art by Pauline Baynes, who you may know as “the Narnia artist”.

[tenth-sentence]

Lucy felt that at any moment she would begin to understand what the trees were trying to say.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" - C. S. Lewis

[oh-dear-so-queer]

His name was Reepicheep and he was a gay and martial mouse.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" - C. S. Lewis

[domonicriley]

I love Pauline Baynes's illustrations for the Chronicles of Narnia. They're beautifully simple and complement Lewis's writing style perfectly.

Does anyone know if Baynes coloured these pieces herself, or is that a later addition? I imagine the first editions would be black and white.

[thedalatribune]

© Paolo Dala

illustration Pauline Baynes (1970) Chapter 10: The Hermit of the Southern March of The Horse and His Boy of the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (First Collier Books Edition)

The Good, Not Safe, Lion

In C. S. Lewis’ first Chronicles of Narnia Book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lucy heard great stories of Aslan the Lion (C. S. Lewis’ Symbol for Jesus Christ)… Lucy asks Mr. Beaver:

Is He safe?

Mr. Beaver answers:

Safe? Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.

That exchange was so good. C. S. Lewis is a master when it comes to arguing against extremist ideologies. Some, like most Pagans, believe that God is all wrath and judgment. On the other hand, others believe the complete opposite. God is all grace. You can sin all you want and He’s OK with it.

Quite frankly, a lot of Christians today believes the later. And this was just C. S. Lewis reminding us:

Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.

When you come to Him ask for repentance and accept His salvation, He’ll forgive you and accept you in His Kingdom… If you don’t, He’ll bring down judgment on you in His own time.

[emeraldbeetles]

illustrations from the lion the witch and the wardrobe (pauline baynes)

[oldschoolfrp]

Another Don Lowry illustration from the “Fantasy Supplement” section of Chainmail (Guidon Games, 1971-72, and Tactical Studies Rules/TSR 1975-85), taking inspiration from a Pauline Baynes illustration in a 1949 edition of Tolkien’s Farmer Giles of Ham:

[gameraboy2]

The Land of Christmas Plays by Pauline Baynes, 1950

[dinosaurfucker]

someone help me... i have such a vivid memory of an illustration of puddleglum from narnia looking so incredibly miserable doing something like maybe climbing?? wading through a miserable place?? i cannot remember specifics. I had a special hardback edition of the books put in their correct reading order (not their written order) with an introduction from a family member of CS Lewis with full colour illustrations and the map on the cover. My mom gave it to my eldest sister who ruined it. If anyone knows what illustration i’m talking about please hit me up.

[fionamccall]

Pauline Baynes at Mottisfont

I think Pauline Baynes was channelling Hieronymus Bosch and the medieval doom painting tradition with this illustration from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  Good thing that her husband Otto Gasch, quote, was ‘completely tolerant of his wife’s obsession to draw’.  This is what women have historically had to deal with - and she was still brilliant!

Pauline Baynes, illustration for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, exhibition, Mottisfont.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

This is the story of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between, in the Golden Age when Peter was High King in Narnia and his brother and his two sisters were King and Queens under him.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy" - C. S. Lewis

[harrpyotter]

[tenth-sentence]

"Why, you're doing it this minute!" bellowed Trumpkin.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" - C. S. Lewis