Cor Blok
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When I organised the Hobbits in Holland exhibition in 1992 at the Royal Library in the Hague (the Netherlands) to celebrate the 100th birthday of JRR Tolkien, I wanted to collect all the original art, especially commissioned to appear on Dutch editions of Tolkien's books. I contacted Cor Blok to ask him about the three paintings he did for the first Dutch paperback edition of The Lord of the Rings, which appeared in 1965. He surprised me somewhat by the remark "how many paintings do you want, I have a hundred of them."
In the end, I included 20 paintings in the exhibition and soon visitors started to ask if these were for sale. Although Blok preferred to keep the collection together, he agreed and in a few years time I sold 40 of the paintings. I also brought his work to the attention of HarperCollins. They included some of Blok's work in Realms of Tolkien, a calendar and a postcard book.
What is extra interesting is that Tolkien has seen these paintings and liked them so much, that he bought two of them (and got a third for free). Later on Priscilla Tolkien and other members of the family bought originals as well.
So this is a great opportunity to get some great, original art, based on The Lord of the Rings, which Tolkien himself saw and admired! In a letter to Blok he was full of praise of the paintings. Don't miss the opportunity to own one!
Cor Blok, born in 1934, died in April, 2021.
All the paintings are gouaches on silk paper, all in a paper passepartout (as framed by the artist). Blok always wrote the title under the passepartout, with the date of painting and signed them.
With each painting you get facsimile reproductions of the three letters Tolkien wrote to Blok.
In the Posters and more section of the webshop you'll find limited edition prints of Cor Blok's work.