First-Ever Auction Dedicated Lord of the Rings Art Held in Italy by Urania & Finarte

On December 14, 2022,  the first-ever auction exclusively dedicated to the art of The Lord of the Rings was held in Italy by Urania & Finarte. The Lord of the Rings fans and collectors could bid on and view paintings, illustrations, and drawings by major international artists who have lent their talents to J. R. R. Tolkien’s work since the 1960s. Artworks by Tim Kirk, David Wenzel, Omar Rayyan, Angelo Montanini, Ralph Bakshi, Stephen Hickman, Philippe Munch, Alan Lee, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, Roger Garland, Ted Nasmith, and many others were put together in an extensive catalog.

The sale started with The Anger of the Mountain, created by Luca Michelucci in 1998. It was the highest-estimated lot in the sale (lot #0065; estimate EUR 9,500 – €15,000 / USD 10,200 – $16,000) but failed to sell. It was an original illustration on thin cardboard, signed and dated by Michelucci. The painting depicts the fellowship of the ring descending in dismay, defeated by the mountain of Caradhras and its natural power. It was published, for the first time, as the cover of the famous J. R. R. Tolkien Calendar in 1999. Luca Michelucci illustrated several Italian Lord of the Rings calendars in the late 1990s and produced cover art for several comic books.

The highest hammer price in the sale was for Tim Kirk’s Two Orcs (lot #0048; EUR 3,200 / USD 3,430). It was a 2009 pencil, ink, and watercolor on cardboard, a recreation of Kirk’s famous 1975 painting of the same title published in the J. R. R. Tolkien Calendar 1975 by Ballantine Books. The depicted scene of two Orcs is from The Return of the King. Kirk was the winner and nominee of the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist from 1970 to 1976. With Ken Keller, Kirk co-designed the first cold-cast resin base used for a Hugo, given in 1976 by the World Science Fiction Society.

A dreamlike depiction of Rivendell by Ivan Cavini also attracted bidders (lot #0014; EUR 2,000 / USD 2,150). It is an original acrylic and airbrush on thin cardboard. Cavini is an Italian illustrator and set designer specializing in digital and traditional fantasy art. Depicting Middle-earth Rivendell, also known as Imladris, the peaceful, sheltered town rests at the edge of a narrow gorge of the river Bruinen. Rivendell is well hidden in the moorlands and foothills of the Misty Mountains, as shown in Cavini’s painting.

Another notable lot from this Lord of the Rings sale was The Hobbit by David Wenzel (lot #103;  EUR 1,200 / USD 1,300). It is a 2012 watercolor on thin cardboard painting, a recreation of the cover for Wenzel’s most recognized comic adaptation of The Hobbit, first published by Eclipse Comics in 1989. Wenzel, an illustrator and children’s book artist, is best known for his graphic novel adaptation of The Hobbit.

The auction dedicated to The Lord of the Rings by Urania & Finarte sold more than 20 lots. Many paintings, illustrations, and drawings by major international artists from the fandom are still available. Visit LiveAuctioneers to view the complete results and find more information. 

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