favorite illustrations

[RoseRed]

I was just reading about Paulines Baynes' excellent work on the Narnia illustrations and it got me thinking, what's everyone's favorite Narnia illustrations?
let's say, top 5? (though if you have a burning desire to say more then go ahead )
if you can't link to the pictures then just describe them + where they are in the book.

1)my own favorite was always the picture of the 7 at the end of the LB, I LOVED looking at the pretty dresses
2) my 2nd favorite was the picture of lasaraleen stretched out on her sofa, the opulence of the picture always attracted me (in fact, I can confess to colouring it in with felt tips when I was young, >.<)

...I'll have to get back to you with the rest, but ones that come to mind are the fantastic illustration of eustace the dragon weeping under the moonlight in VotDT and of course, that first illustration of lucy and tumnus, arm in arm.

so, what are your favorites?

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

A lot of the images are copywritten, meaning that they're not available on the internet. A couple of years ago a few of the images were made available to thelionscall.com, but the rest are still protected images. So linking to them will be difficult

MOD NOTE: Please don't scan these images onto the site; they could get NarniaWeb into big trouble

As for my favourite illustrations, they would be:

Jill flying on Glimfeather's back
Shasta looking out across the desert
The Pevensies falling through Aunt Alberta's painting
Lucy and Mr. Tumnus walking through the snowy wood
Digory sitting by his Mother's bedside.

[RoseRed]

ahh ok, that would be teh reason they're not widely available, which's fair enough. thanks DiGoRyKiRkE
I love the one with jll on glimfeathers back too, infact I really like all her illustrations of Jill, they happen to match rather well with my imagined version of the character (susan and lucy look completely different in my imagination to how Baynes portrayed them)

[DamselJillPole]

Most of my favorites are:

Lucy and Tumnus walking through the woods in LWW
Harfang in SC
Tirian reaching for Jill's hand in LB (I love Eustace's face, it makes me giggle)
Reepicheep walking from the gate to the New Narnia in LB
Caspian and Ramandu's daughter in VDT
Digory and Polly riding Fledge in MN
Jill running from Harfang in SC

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

It was a difficult decision but these are definitely some of my favourites, either because the atmosphere they create or because they are skilled drawings.


PC - The Pevensies' stumbling across the ruins of Cair Paravel (I also enjoy the one with Lucy and Peter in the Treasure Room).

VDT - Lucy creeping down the eerie corridors of the Magician's house.

SC - The gorge with giants on either side and Puddleglum, Jill and Eustace walking between them (also Harfang mansion and Jill running from there).

HHB - The Kings and Queens of Narnia heading off to war (also Shasta at the tombs).

MN - Diggory and Polly standing amongst the ruins of Charn (this is probably my absolute favourite).

LB - Puzzle dressed as Aslan and waiting behind the stable but illuminated by the massive bonfire.

[Ithilwen]

Tirian reaching for Jill's hand in LB (I love Eustace's face, it makes me giggle)

Ahahaha! I never noticed that before! Thank you so much for pointing that out! I love it! I think that might just be my favorite illustration now. If they ever get to make a movie of The Last Battle, I hope they play that scene up!

Okay, my favorite illustrations. Hmmm... it's so hard, because they are pretty much all wonderful and help you picture the story right -- especially considering that C.S. Lewis said the illustrations looked just as the story looked in his mind.

But I will do my best.

In the Magician's Nephew: 1. The Wrong Door, when Digory and Polly stand with the candle. It looks just like the scene from a movie. 2. Jadis standing on the carriage, because it's pretty funny. 3. The children on the back of flying Fledge.

In the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: 1. The two older children talking to Digory Kirke, 2. The children having dinner with the beavers.

In The Horse and His Boy: Lasaraleen talking to Aravis as Aravis sits there with such a classic look of boredom on her face.

In Prince Caspian: 1. The Pevensies in the treasure house, 2. Caspain and Doctor Cornelius standing under Tarva and Alambil, 3. Trumpkin and the boys walking through Aslan's How

In Voyage of the Dawn Treader: 1. Falling through the painting, 2. The Pevensies reuniting with Caspian as Eustace standing there looking miserable and dripping, 3. Dragon Eustace, 4. The children and the Lamb at the end.

In The Silver Chair: 1. Jill and Eustace holding hands as they walk through the woods , 2. Jill running from the House of Harfang, 3. The Sleeping Underland creatures.

In The Last Battle: 1. The picture that DamselJillPole pointed out of Jill and Tirian and Eustace, 2. the silhouettes, 3. Ginger flying over Shift's head, 4. The Picture of Tirian standing in front of all of The Friends of Narnia.

[Pepper Darcy]

All of you have great choices, mine would have to be

1. Jill on Glimfeather's back (I drew my own copy of that)
2. the first picture you see of Puddleglum
3. the picture of Puddleglum smoking his pipe and the other two listening to him
4.Lucy walking through the dancing trees to reach Aslan
5. Digory at his mother's bed

I also like the one of the kids and Puddleglum all around Rilian in the silver chair... and there are so many great ones!

[Liberty Hoffman]

my all time favorite is the drawing of Reepicheep in VotDT!

[ChristProclamer]

Oh, Pauline Baynes had such a wonderful style! I love her illustrations.
LWW: My favorite was probably the four siblings jumping out of the wardrobe at the very end. There's something very quaint and childlike about the tone that I love. (My least favorite is the one of Aslan walking upright. Wierd).

PC: A difficult tie between the one of Caspian and Cornelius in thier cloaks with the stars overhead, and the one of the Pevensies and Trumpkin crawling away from the Telmarine outpost.

VDT: Either the one of Lucy dressing in Caspian's tunic, or the illustration of the page out of the Magician's book.

SC: Definitely the one of Jill running from Harfang.

HHB: First the picture of Lasaraleen's chambers, and then the one of Lune's hunting party. Both are such vivid images of the contrasting cultures.

MN: The illustration of the waxworks in the Hall of Images. It's so...luxurious an image.

LB: I'm a sucker for pretty dresses and happy endings. I loved the picture of the Seven Friends and Tirian together at the end.

[hogglestock]

I'm sure there would be others if I went back & looked, but the one that came immediately to mind was from VDT--"A powerful dragon crying its eyes out under the moon in a deserted valley." Both the image & the quote are so touching.

[Meltintalle]

I get the feeling that I am a deprived child. Most of my copies of the Chronicles do not include all the pictures.

Anyway...the ones I can think of immediately are (and are therefore the most memorable):

HHB: Lasaraleen and Aravis in Lasaraleen's room
PC: Peter dictating his challenge
SC: The Lady of the Green Kirtle at the bridge
MN: The Hall of Images
HHB: Shasta at the Tombs
I'm not sure where the picture of Reepicheep standing, holding his rapier, with the feather circlet is; I think it's in VotDT?

[Valiant]

I liked the one in LB with all of them meeting Tirian (Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, Digory, and the rest.)

I also liked the one with the children in the beaver's house. It looked like a bery interesting house. Susan was right to compliment Mr. Beaver

[sandyentersNarnia]

Hmmm, I only have two.


MN: Digory and Polly were riding on Fledge's back

LB: The seven friends of Narnia

[Valiant]

When I was younger I would stop reading just to examine the pictures (ok, well I still do that .) They were so captivating. They really influenced how I imagined the story in my head.