Barbara Remington (23 June 1929 – 23 January 2020)
was an American artist and illustrator. Born in
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, she was probably best known for her cover-art for
Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major American book publisher that is a subsidiary of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. Ballantine was founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. Ballantine was acquired by Random House in ...
' first paperback editions of
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...
's novels ''
The Hobbit
''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ...
'' and ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
'' and for her Tolkien-related poster ''
A Map of Middle-earth''.
Career
Remington's covers for the three books were designed as one large painting with three sections. In an interview about her association with Tolkien's works, Remington mentions that she had not been able to get hold of the books before making the illustration, and had only a sketchy idea from friends what they were about. Tolkien, the author, could not understand why her illustration included what he thought were pumpkins in a tree, or why a lion appeared at all (the lions were removed from the cover of later editions). Remington became a huge Tolkien fan, and would have "definitely drawn different pictures" had she read the books first.
The popularity of the artwork led to a successful jigsaw puzzle of the combined covers
and a large edition of the poster, as well as work for similar
genre fiction
In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction, or commercial fiction,Girolimon, Mars"Types of Genres: A Literary Guide" Southern New Hampshire University, 11 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024. encompasses fictional ...
such as ''
The Worm Ouroboros
''The Worm Ouroboros'' is a Heroic fantasy, heroic high fantasy novel by English writer E. R. Eddison, first published in 1922. The book describes the protracted war between the domineering King Gorice of Witchland and the Lords of Demonland i ...
'' by
E. R. Eddison. She also illustrated a number of children's books.
Remington illustrated "Scuttle The Stowaway Mouse",
written by Jean and Nancy Soule in 1969. This is a great example of Remington's ability to understand and transform the characters into her own. Her imagination and eye for every small detail is impeccable. Remington illustrated the book “Boat” in 1975. It’s a story told in art (no words). Beautifully drawn with incredible attention to details. All done in pencil and ink.
Remington died at her home in
Thompson, Pennsylvania
Thompson is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeaste ...
, on January 23, 2020. She was 90 years old.
References
External links
Interview, on the Tolkien Collector's Guide websiteBrief notes, on the Tolkien Collector's Guide website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Remington, Barbara
American women illustrators
1929 births
2020 deaths
Tolkien artists
Artists from Minnesota