Middle-earth exhibition's unseen Tolkien art

'Blue Wizards Journeying East' is a Ted Nasmith painting inspired by JRR Tolkien's Unfinished Tales

A newly opened exhibition at Banbury Museum will feature art inspired by JRR Tolkien's Lord of The Rings.

The main artwork is by Ted Nasmith, the illustrator of the official 2010 Tolkien calendar.

The internationally acclaimed artist's admirers include director Peter Jackson.

Inspiring Middle-earth will also feature work by other leading artists and will include a very rare print of one of Tolkien's own early drawings.

The author drew Lamb's Farm, Gedling in 1911 and the exhibition at Banbury Museum will be the first time the art has been seen on public display.

It is also notable for showing an extremely early version of Tolkien's famous JRRT monogram. His famous final design displayed one of the Rs facing left instead.

The drawing will be published in Wheelbarrows at Dawn, a forthcoming biography about Tolkien's brother, Hilary.

Inspiring Middle-earth runs until Saturday 19 June and entry is free.

'Beloved Oxfordshire'

'Lamb's Farm, Gedling' by Tolkien will be on display at the exhibition

Malcolm Lindley from ADC Publications said the exhibition contained "the sort of work that JRR Tolkien inspired and also what inspired JRR Tolkien".

Artist Ted Nasmith said: "I feel considerable delight and pride that my Tolkien art will be exhibited in the historical town of Banbury, in Tolkien's beloved Oxfordshire."

In addition the exhibition features paintings, sketches and prints by Ruth Lacon, Peter Pracownik and Jef Murray.

Most of the artwork is available for sale and visitors are invited to discover more about some of the real local places that inspired Tolkien.

"For the diehard Tolkien fans it's a chance to actually see the images all together in a wonderful location," Mr Lindley told BBC Oxford.

"But the people who are coming in that know nothing about it at all will be able to find out about Tolkien's life from the TV display we have and get inspired to read the books just by the snippets of information there."

The promoters describe Inspiring Middle-earth as a prelude exhibition, with a second one planned to tie in with The Hobbit movies that are due for release in 2012 and 2013.

The aim is to feature comparisons of the work by Tolkien artists with the visualisation of the same scenes in Guillermo del Toro's forthcoming films.

"This guy was a horror director," Mr Lindley said. "It will be interesting to see how his version of The Hobbit comes out."

Wheelbarrows at Dawn: Memories of Hilary Tolkien by Angela Gardner & Neil Holford will be published in August 2010