The Tolkien-inspired Artwork of Jay Johnstone Looks Like Religious Iconography

In a two-part interview, T.Q. Kelley talks to artist Jay Johnstone about this Tolkien-inspired artwork, which takes after iconography and illuminated manuscripts.

“This came about because of a very bizarre dream in which I was in a Celtic Scottish church,” Johnstone says. “And I had seen a lot of what I believe to be Christian iconography. But on closer inspection, the iconography had such a connection to Tolkien’s work. So when I saw pictures of Jesus, they were initially presumed to be a Christian icon of Jesus, but I saw it as Aragorn. I looked at Moses and saw Gandalf. There was a great connection between the images that I saw and the beliefs that Tolkien had, and it came to me literally in a dream.”

“Isildur’s Bane” by Jay Johnstone
“Isildur’s Bane” — Artwork by Jay Johnstone

Pursue and purchase Johnstone’s works from his website.

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