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In 1960, Tov Jansson, creator of the Moomins franchise was tasked with illustrating The Hobbit for the Swedish translation of the book. Later, the same illustrations were used for the Finnish editions as well.
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Jansson did her best to break free from the style that she developed for her Moomins world. As you can see above, her usual illustrations are whimsical, distinguished by their careful yet simple linework and solid colors. Normally, she sketched her drawings with a pencil first and then drew on top with a felt pen to ensure smooth lines. However, she wanted her illustrations for The Hobbit to be looser, more expressive.
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At the time of its publication, Tolkien fans were not very fond of Jansson's illustrations for The Hobbit. Despite her efforts to depart from her personal style, many saw the drawings as too Moomin-ish. Also, her focus on the landscapes of Middle Earth left some fans a little unsatisfied as they wanted to see their favorite characters in detail instead. Some of her illustrations went against some pre-established assumptions, too. For example, the drawing above, depicting Gollum, was a total departure from most artists' renditions of the creature. Even Tolkien was surprised by the drawing, and it made him realize that he never actually described Gollum's size in the books. Later editions of The Hobbit actually clarify that he is meant to be small.
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Even if it didn't make a huge splash in the 60s, original copies of this book are now highly coveted! Even though they are not the most traditional depictions of a medieval fantasy world, they are incredibly unique and obviously made with a lot of love and care.
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Whimsical Illustrations of Middle-Earth by Moomin Creator, Tov Jansson, for the Swedish and Finnish Editions of The Hobbit
I will always fondly remember my kindergarten classroom's decorations. My teacher, who's name I've long forgotten, made sure that absolutely everything followed a Winnie-the-Pooh theme. While she did hand out stickers featuring Disney's design of the beloved bear, most of the decorations were actually inspired by E.H. Shepard's original illustrations of the novel. Years later, I was surprised to find out that the very same man whose iconic illustrations are synonymous with childhood and innocence also drew over 100 harrowing sketches of the cold realities of WWI.
Similarly, if you ever read The B.F.G or Matilda by Roald Dahl, you may be surprised to find out that the same illustrator, Quentin Blake, designed medical pamphlets and even adult poetry books using the same whimsical illustration style. Dr. Seuss didn't abandon his zany style when he was tasked to make advertisements for motor oil or bug spray, either! Down below, you might find that there is something distinctly Moomin-ish about these illustrations for the Swedish and Finnish editions of The Hobbit. Scroll down to find out why.
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