Friday, October 29, 2010

PAULINE BAYNES, THE ARTIST WHO BROUGHT ASLAN TO LIFE...

From THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE:  Aslan with Susan and Lucy


Readers will be forever indebted to illustrators such as E.H. Shepard (Winnie the Pooh) and Pauline Baynes (The Chronicles of Narnia), who not only contribute to the success of a book, but somehow make real the magical worlds that would only live in our imaginations, were it not for their visual creations which become almost inseparable from the beautifully crafted text of the authors...


Illustrator Pauline Baynes was recommended to C.S. Lewis through her friend, J.R.R. Tolkien.  Tolkien loved her stunning medieval illustrations, which were a perfect fit for several of his books (Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil).   She also did a magnificent job creating the detailed map of Middle Earth and some of the cover artwork for Tolkien's first-edition paperback Lord of the Rings


In a true collaboration of writer and illustrator, Baynes' stunning artwork helped bring to life C.S. Lewis' land of Narnia (which have sold over 100 million copies) and will forever be linked with those seven stories...but she also illustrated over 100 other books, many of which - in her later career - were of a religious theme.


THE LAND OF NARNIA: Brian Sibley Explores the World of C.S. Lewis
The Land of Narnia: Brian Sibley Explores the World of C. S. Lewis
A TALE OF TROY
The Tale of Troy: Retold from the Ancient Authors (Puffin Classics)
ARABIAN NIGHTS
Arabian Nights: Tales of the Arabian Nights
I BELIEVE:  THE NICENE CREED
 I Believe: The Nicene Creed
THE COAT OF MANY COLORS
The Coat of Many Colors
THE MOSES BASKET
The Moses Basket
STORY OF DANIEL
The Story of Daniel (Stories of Jesus (Lutterworth))
NOAH AND THE ARK (This book is out of print - beautiful illustrations!)
GOOD KING WENCESLAS
Good King Wenceslas (First Books (Lutterworth))


Pauline Baynes died at the age of 85, in August of 2008.  You can read Brian Sibley's beautiful tribute to her HERE.  Examples of her gorgeous fine art prints (these are not her book illustrations) can be seen and purchased here at Bridgeman ART ON DEMAND.

4 comments:

  1. I remember loving the illustrations in those last 4 books especially!!

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  2. Oops, haha, this is me, Mary!

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  3. I love her pictures - they are part of the magic of my childhood.

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