Bilbo In the Tree (A Slice through Mirkwood) by Ruth Lacon - Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas.

Original Tolkien-inspired painting by Ruth Lacon, depicting Bilbo climbing above the forest canopy in Mirkwood. Executed in acrylic on canvas, measuring 30 x 79.5 cm (11 3/4 x 31 1/4 ins). Offered at £1800.

Bilbo In the Tree (A Slice through Mirkwood)
Ruth Lacon
Original Painting
Acrylic on canvas
30 cm wide x 79.5 cm high (11 3/4 x 31 1/4 ins)
Price: £1800

A highly atmospheric and visually inventive original painting by Ruth Lacon, inspired by The Hobbit, depicting Bilbo’s ascent into the treetops of Mirkwood in search of light and direction.

The composition is presented as a vertical “slice” through the forest, contrasting two distinct worlds within a single image. Below, the forest is dark, dense, and oppressive — tangled branches and shadowed trunks create a sense of confusion and entrapment. Above, the canopy opens into a luminous expanse of green and blue, filled with light, air, and distant birds in flight.

This striking contrast captures the emotional shift in the narrative, as Bilbo momentarily escapes the suffocating gloom of Mirkwood to glimpse the wider world beyond. The towering central tree, with its twisting form, anchors the composition and reinforces the sense of ascent and discovery.

Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work makes excellent use of vertical space, with colour and texture guiding the viewer’s eye upward from darkness into light. The stylised foliage and layered tones give the painting both depth and a dreamlike quality, reflecting the strange and enchanted nature of Mirkwood.

Ruth Lacon has long been recognised for her Tolkien-inspired artwork. A member of The Tolkien Society since the 1980s, she has contributed both artwork and scholarly writing to Tolkien publications. With academic training in Zoology and Illustration, her work reflects a deep engagement with natural forms alongside a distinctive artistic interpretation of Tolkien’s world. Her paintings have appeared in The Art of Ruth Lacon, and are valued by collectors for their originality and narrative strength.

This scene recalls Bilbo’s climb above the forest canopy, where for a brief moment he sees sunlight again — only to descend once more into the shadowed depths below. The sense of fleeting hope is beautifully conveyed in this composition.

A unique and visually compelling interpretation of one of the most atmospheric passages in The Hobbit.

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