Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

Anke Eißmann

Anke Katrin Eißmann is a German illustrator and graphic designer known for her illustrations of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. She studied visual communication at Bauhaus University in Weimar and at the Colchester Institute in the United Kingdom. Eißmann has also made a number of short films. She is an art teacher at the Johanneum high school in Herborn.

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
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Citations
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Source
Anke Eißmann
Born
Anke Katrin Eißmann

1977 (age 48–49)
Dillenburg, Germany
EducationBauhaus University
Colchester Institute
Known forgraphic design, illustration
Websiteanke.edoras-art.de

Anke Katrin Eißmann (born 1977 in Dillenburg) is a German illustrator and graphic designer known for her illustrations of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. She studied visual communication at Bauhaus University in Weimar and at the Colchester Institute in the United Kingdom. Eißmann has also made a number of short films. She is an art teacher at the Johanneum high school in Herborn.

Works

Eißmann's early inspiration was drawn from works by J. R. R. Tolkien, such as The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings. In a 2009 interview she stated that her first encounter with Tolkien's theme was watching Ralph Bakshi's animated film version of Lord of the Rings in 1991. This inspired her to read the novel and initially made her draw illustrations.1 While studying in Weimar, she began to publish her illustrations on the Internet, which brought her feedback by such artists as Ted Nasmith. As stated on her homepage, Eißmann was also influenced by: "the Pre-Raphaelites, book-illustrators like Arthur Rackham, Edmond Dulac, Ivan Bilibin and Alan Lee, Art Nouveau, artists like Edward Hopper and Jan Vermeer".2 She has contributed for several years to the annual Beyond Bree Tolkien Calendar.34

Apart from Tolkien themes, a lot of Eißmann's work is focused on mythological and historical themes.1 Other inspirations include the BBC television series Sherlock.5

Illustrations

Works illustrated by Eißmann include:

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Gand, André (21 November 2009). "Interview with Anke Eißmann". tolkien-bücher.de. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  2. Eißmann, Anke. "Illustration".
  3. Eißmann, Anke. "Illustrator/graphic designer". Anke Eißmann. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  4. For example "'Beyond Bree' 2026 Calendar Still Available". Beyond Bree. Archived from the original on 14 January 2026. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  5. Robb, Brian J.; Simpson, Paul (2013). Middle-earth Envisioned: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: On Screen, On Stage and Beyond. Race Point Publishing. p. 213. ISBN 978-1937994273.
  6. Literature by and about Anke Eißmann in the German National Library catalogue
  7. Illustration, Throne of Jade Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Subterranean Press
External links