Letter to Doris Elizabeth Sykes (July 1956)
Doris Elizabeth Sykes ?Early July 1956 is a letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Doris Elizabeth Sykes, written in ?Early July 1956.[1][2]
- Subject: Discussion of Syke's illustrations inspired by The Lord of the Rings. Sykes had sent Tolkien a second set of illustrations.[1]
- Description: Handwritten.[2]
- Publication: Quotations from the letter and a reproduction were included in Christie's Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts 18 June 2013 (p. 12).[1]
Contents
- "Again he expresses appreciation for her art, and asks if she would like her earlier drawings returned. An illustrated Lord of the Rings is still unlikely in the near future."
- ― [1]
- "The second letter discusses the drawings further, and offers to send a defective set of the novels (the author lacking any perfect set) for Miss Sykes to carry on her work from, though any prospect of publication remains slight. "
- ― [2]
From Auction
TOLKIEN, John Ronald Reuel (1892-1973). Two autograph letters signed ('J.R.R. Tolkien') to Doris Sykes, Merton College, Oxford, and Headington, 28 January 1956 and n.d., 5½ pages, 4to (the first with minor markings in red pencil), envelope.
Discussing illustrations for The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien responds in the first letter to the recipient's drawings for the work, which he finds 'extremely good ... Apart from their technical skill ... they not only in many cases correspond closely to my vision, but even enrich it. I was particularly delighted by Treebeard with Merry and Pippin in his arms; but all your hobbits are admirable, and also the orcs, and Gimli. I also thought the scene under "Weathertop" and the Witch-King powerful. It was tackled in the only possible way: making Frodo and the King visible and the other Companions shadowy ... Aragorn alone does not closely correspond to my vision ... I think of him as sterner, keener and in face less "Greek" and straight-nosed, more Roman'; Tolkien adds with regret however that 'the immediate prospects of an illustrated edition are not good'. The second letter discusses the drawings further, and offers to send a defective set of the novels (the author lacking any perfect set) for Miss Sykes to carry on her work from, though any prospect of publication remains slight.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull, "Addenda and Corrigenda to The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (2006) Vol. 1: Chronology" dated 16 June 2013, Hammond&Scull.com (accessed 17 October 2013)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "TWO AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED ('J.R.R. TOLKIEN') TO DORIS SYKES (Sale 8952, Lot 30)" dated 18 June 2013, Christies.com/ (accessed 2 April 2014)
