The Genius of Tolkien’s Original The Hobbit Dust Jacket

Tolkien’s original artwork for The Hobbit dust jacket is now on display at “The Marks of Genius” exhibit at the Bodleian Library. Other work featured includes Shakespeare’s First Folio, The Gutenberg Bible, and works by Isaac Newton. The artwork was used on the first edition of The Hobbit, a rare copy of which was recently donated to the Texas A&M Libraries by George R. R. Martin:

Many fantasy fans might not realize that Tolkien was a visual artist, but he created many beautiful illustrations for his genre-defining fantasy works.

(h/t Tolkien Society)