[Tolkien, J. R. R.]

Cauty, James. "Lord of the Rings," original drawing in ink, pencil and crayon, signed ("Jimmy Cauty"), Kingsbridge, Devonshire, 1975-76, on poster board (29  3/4  x 19  3/4  in.; 753 x 504 mm), mounted to another sheet of poster board; minimal wear at edges.

An iconic masterpiece of the psychedelic era.  This intense, highly detailed work was executed, according to the artist, who was nineteen at the time, in "ink, pencil, crayon and 17 ounces of Afghani black on paper."  After examining the drawing, it would be hard to dispute this assertion, although the Afghani black was obviously not applied directly to the poster board.  The drawing is accompanied by a brief typed signed statement by the artist, which is worth quoting in full:

"Commenced in 1975 and completed in 1976 the poster was commissioned by Elgin Court Designs of London and was to be the first in a series of 5.  Only one other was completed — the Hobbit.

"Upon completion a bidding war broke out and Athena International was granted a licence to produce posters.  Barry Everett from Athena famously flew to Devon in a Helicopter arriving hours before the man from Elgin Court could get there on a train and presented me with a cheque for £500, more than enough to purchase a Royal Enfield Super Meteor motorcycle.  It quickly became their second best selling poster and was in production from 1976-1990.  It's not known how many were sold but I tell everyone it was 6 million.

"In 1991 the licence was sold to W and G in Switzerland and they have been manufacturing posters ever since.  The original artwork was only ever exhibited to the public once."

The poster board affixed to the back of the drawing is itself a work of art, featuring an emblamatic drawing of a marijuana leaf draped across a harvest moon, captioned "Zomby Pictures Unlimited".  A fanciful colophon of sorts, done in various colored inks, is singed twice by Cauty and includes colored drawings.  Affixed to the board are portions of two legal documents: the first simply reads "Devon & Cornwall Constabulary," the second is the top portion of a County of Wiltshire Petty Sessional Division summons issued to the naughty Mr. Cauty.

A remarkable colored drawing, evocative of an era that vanished in a cloud of smoke, suitable for a nostalgic Babyboomer or discerning younger fan of J. R. R. Tolkien.