I consider myself very fortunate to have discovered the works of JRR Tolkien at the same time that the world was discovering the artwork of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt.  The release of the 1976 Hildebrandt calendar was an unexpected treat; but the 1977 and 1978 issues were much anticipated publishing events.  For my circle of friends, the Tolkien calendars of subsequent years, and much of the animation of Ralph Bakshi's film, were disappointing by comparison.  And now, some twenty-five years later, the impending release of a new film visualization of Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, has Tolkien fans worked up to a fevered pitch.

The renewed interest in all things Tolkien has brought us all another great favor: the publication of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt: the Tolkien Years.  This soft-bound coffee-table art book is not merely a republication of the paintings from the three famous calendars; it also includes reproductions of penciled studies and photographs used to create the final artwork, and narrative insights and quotes from the artists about the process of creation.  As a bonus, the volume includes reproductions of commissioned Tolkien paintings, two new paintings, and a pull-out poster.  Text credit goes to Gregory Hildebrandt, Jr., who was a young child during the years the paintings were created.

The strength of the volume is, of course, the artwork itself.  The comprehensive reproductions of the calendar paintings are large, clear and lustrous.  Judicious editorial decisions also supply a satisfying representative sample of the equally stunning studies, including polaroids of the Hildebrandts and various friends posed in costume.  Much has been made of Thomas Kinkade as the "Painter of Light," but one of the great values of this volume is illumination of the fact that it is meticulous attention to details of lighting that make the Hildebrandts' work particularly effective.  Paintings such as Théoden and Wormtongue, Éowyn and the Nazgûl, The Grey Havens, or Bilbo at Rivendell are literally glowing examples of the effectiveness of their technique.

Comments from the artists also reveal what, in part, has made their work so effective a portrayal of Tolkien's imagination for so many people: a dogged determination to avoid either cartoonish or impressionistic techniques, and to be true to Tolkien's own vision as a realist.  The Hildebrandts are both accomplished artists in various styles, not confined to realism because of a lack of talent.  Rather, the realism conveyed in the Tolkien paintings are an homage to the detailed realism of Tolkien's writing.

The text of the book is episodically organized around the painting of each of the original pieces of artwork.  Gregory Jr. traces the development of the process of creation in parallel with his own personal development and the growth of tension between his father and his uncle.  The text is simultaneously commendable and regrettable: commendable for its insight into the author's topics, and regrettable simply because Gregory Jr. is not a gifted writer.

Fortunately, this is a very small drawback because of the larger contributions of the text toward bringing to the world this very valuable homage to Tolkien, his work, and the Brothers Hildebrandt.  For myself, this volume has, for a time, also taken me back to my youth, a time of wonder and discovery.  To Greg, Tim, Gregory Jr., your manager and your publisher, I can only say, "Thank you.  Thank you very much."

GREG AND TIM HILDEBRANDT