Sirielle Art Arda The I Age

The First Age of Sun

Art inspired by The Silmarillion and other writings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Illustrations, portraits, concepts and sketches, with some never to be finished works in progress.

Into the I Age of Sun

Beleriand

Morgoth

Morgoth with Silmarili [Painter & Photoshop 2010]

"There he delved anew his vast vaults and dungeons, and above their gates he reared the threefold peaks of Thangorodrim, and a great reek of dark smoke was ever wreathed about them. There countless became the hosts of his beasts and his demons, and the race of the Orcs, bred long before, grew and multiplied in the bowels of the earth. Dark now fell the shadow on Beleriand, as is told hereafter, but in Angband Morgoth forged for himself a great crown of iron, and he called himself King of the World. In token of this he set the Silmarils in his crown."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"

Noldor in Beleriand

On the Way to Thangorodrim

Findekáno (Fingon) in the Iron Mountains, searching for an entry into Angband.

"On the way to Thangorodrim" [Photoshop 2016]

"Therefore he dared a deed which is justly renowned among the feats of the princes of the Noldor: alone, and without the counsel of any, he set forth in search of Maedhros; and aided by the very darkness that Morgoth had made he came unseen into the fastness of his foes. High upon the shoulders of Thangorodrim he climbed, and looked in despair upon the desolation of the land; but no passage or crevice could he find through which he might come within Morgoth's stronghold."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"

Maedhros post-Thangorodrim [2007/2010]

"There Maedhros in time was healed; for the fire of life was hot within him, and his strength was of the ancient world, such as those possessed who were nurtured in Valinor. His body recovered from his torment and became hale, but the shadow of his pain was in his heart;"

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"

Fingon in Beleriand [2012]

Beleriand and Realms of The North

"Beleriand and Realms of The North" | Photoshop 2013 | More details in the maps section

"Noldor being again united set a watch upon the borders of Dor Daedeloth, and Angband was beleaguered from west, and south, and east; and they sent forth messengers far and wide to explore the countries of Beleriand, and to treat with the people that dwelt there."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"

The Realms of the Noldor and the Sindar in Beleriand | 2013-2022 | More details in the maps section

"Now the lords of the Noldor held council in Mithrim, and thither came Angrod out of Doriath, bearing the message of King Thingol. Cold seemed its welcome to the Noldor, and the sons of Fëanor were angered at the words; but Maedhros laughed, saying: 'A king is he that can hold his own, or else his title is vain. Thingol does but grant us lands where his power does not run. Indeed Doriath alone would be his realm this day, but for the coming of the Noldor. Therefore in Doriath let him reign, and be glad that he has the sons of Finwë for his neighbours, not the Orcs of Morgoth that we found. Elsewhere it shall go as seems good to us."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"

Maedhros (unfinsihed) | 2007

Himring

Beleriand and Realms of The North (monochromatic, detail) | Photoshop 2015

"Maedhros restrained his brothers, and they departed from the council, and soon afterwards they left Mithrim and went eastward beyond Aros to the wide lands about the Hill of Himring. That region was named thereafter the March of Maedhros; for northwards there was little defence of hill or river against assault from Angband. There Maedhros and his brothers kept watch, gathering all such people as would come to them, and they had few dealings with their kinsfolk westward, save at need."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"

Maedhros, Himring [WiP 2006]

Himring [2006]

Psst, but here is the real map!

The First Snow

"The First Snow" (Maedhros) [Painter 2009]

"Snowflakes were lazily drifting before his eyes. He wanted to reach out, to catch them, to hold them in his hand, but... He had only one hand. The attempts to hold his shawl with the stump nearly ended with the garment falling. All he could do was to reach out with the stump or... Put his face towards it, as towards the Sun" - "The First Snow".

Gondolin

Gondolin City Map | Photoshop 2017/2022 | More details in the Gondolin / maps section.

More details in the Gondolin maps section.

Battles of Beleriand

A Dwarf, Nirnaeth Arnoediad [2013]

The Fall of Gondolin

Defenders of Gondolin | Photoshop 2022

The Fall of Gondolin: Tuor, Ecthelion & Glorfindel. Illustration for an essay in "Aiglos" #25, but for Aiglos Glorfindel wears a scale armor (see below).

Defenders of Gondolin [color WiP, Photoshop 2023]

Glorfindel of the Golden Flower
Glorfindel wore a green mantle embroidered in threads of gold and armor damascened with gold.

Ecthelion of the Fountain
Ecthelion was clad in armor overlaid with silver and had a shining helmet adorned with a spike of steel pointed with a diamond and a shield shimmering with a studs of crystal.

Tuor of the Wing
Tuor wore armor overlaid with silver and had helmet adorned with two swan-wings built of metal and jewels. A white swan’s wing on blue field, his houses device, was wrought on his shield. Instead of a sword he prefered to wield a great battle axe named Dramborleg.

More information on the defenders and the XII Houses of Gondolin at sirielle.com (link).

Celegorm (dark haired for Rhapsody) [2009]

Lechind [2010]

"Lechind means 'flame-eyed', a name given to the Noldor by the Sindar in Beleriand "for the eyes of all the Elves that had dwelt in Aman impressed those of Middle-earth by their piercing brightness"

- J.R.R. Tolkien, “Quendi and Eldar”, HoME XI

A Noldo in Beleriand (aka Inktober knight) [Ink on paper, Inktober 2016]

The Third Kinslaying

Let the Havens Burn [2008/2010]

"Now when first the tidings came to Maedhros that Elwing yet lived, and dwelt in possession of the Silmaril by the mouths of Sirion, he repenting of the deeds in Doriath withheld his hand. But in time the knowledge of their oath unfulfilled returned to torment him and his brothers, and gathering from their wandering hunting-paths they sent messages to the Havens of friendship and yet of stern demand."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 24: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"

"Then Elwing and the people of Sirion would not yield the jewel which Beren had won and Lúthien had worn, and for which Dior the fair was slain; and least of all while Eärendil their lord was on the sea, for it seemed to them that in the Silmaril lay the healing and the blessing that had come upon their houses and their ships. And so there came to pass the last and cruelest of the slayings of Elf by Elf; and that was the third of the great wrongs achieved by the accursed oath."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 24: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"

Animated illustration 2023: a foreshadowing: Maedhros and Fëanor, son and father portraits morphing with Maedhros in flames:

Fëanor, still in the Age of Stars and Maedhros in the beginning of the I Age of Sun (2010). Both portraits are steps of the same image, inspired by the way Ayami Kojima paints bright eyes and delicate faces full of light, even when surrounded by darkness and nightmares. The main scene in flames takes place much later in time, towards the end of the I Age of Sun.