Tolkien family Tolkien family The Tolkien family is an English family whose best-known member is J. R. R. Tolkien, Oxford academic and author of the fantasy books "The Hobbit", "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Silmarillion". According to J. R. R. Tolkien, the family emigrated from Lower Saxony in Germany to England in the 18th century. The Tolkien name, with different spellings, is also still found in Germany. The name was possibly derived from the village of Tolkynen near Rastenburg, East Prussia (now in Poland and known as Tołkiny). John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973)
J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator was natural and keen. Portraits are conspicuously absent from his work. The book explores Tolkien's art at length, from his childhood paintings and drawings to his final sketches. It reproduces 200 examples of his artwork. At its heart are his illustrations for his books, especially his tales of Middle-earth. Also examined are the pictures Tolkien made for his children (notably in his "The Father Christmas Letters" and "Mr. Bliss"), his expressive calligraphy, his love of decoration, and his contributions to the typography and design of his books. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator" won the 1996 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award