If you’ve ever had a chance to read The World of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson, you’ll remember the book’s wonderful artwork. It includes some stunning depictions of iconic locales from A Song of Ice and Fire, including the below picture of the Eyrie. Scroll through to see even more.
"Paintings of scenes from A Song of Ice and Fire"
It’s easy to see from this painting why — according to the book — the folks of the Vale often argue with the inhabitants of the Reach over which castle is more beautiful: the Eyrie or Highgarden.
The artist behind this work is Ted Nasmith, an illustrator best known for paintings based on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. Nasmith was inspired by Tolkien’s work at a young age, but in recent years has turned his attention to Westeros. In addition to The World of Ice and Fire, his renderings also appeared in the 2011 Song of Ice and Fire calendar. George R.R. Martin even wrote that he considers Nasmith’s illustrations for the calendar to be “THE definitive depictions of thirteen of the great castles of Westeros.”
Martin certainly found the right artist to give life to imagination. It’s particularly fun to look at the buildings we haven’t yet seen on TV, like Eastwatch by the Sea.
As an avid collector of Game of Thrones fanart, I’m very intrigued by these.
Nasmith doesn’t just paint awe-inspiring pictures of castles; he’s also turned his hand to characters and scenes from the books too. Take a look at these sketches of some of our favorite characters, and see how they differ from their on-screen incarnations.
Renderings of Catelyn, Sansa, Arya and Daenerys taken from the books, by Ted Nasmith. https://t.co/RnTd5X5B4c pic.twitter.com/PyNcUvLCot
— Winter is Coming (@WiCnet) March 28, 2017
From artist Ted Naismith: Images of Ned, Jon Snow, Bran, and Tyrion. https://t.co/CgBMY0RjUC pic.twitter.com/zCNxGOcjZa
— Crown_For_A_King (@Crown_ForAKing) March 28, 2017
The beastly-looking Tyrion is certainly a departure from the Tyrion we see on screen, which is no surprise. In the books, Tyrion’s ugliness is referenced frequently, while Peter Dinklage is a very handsome man. However, if these drawings more closely resemble what Martin had in mind when conceiving the characters, it looks like Sophie Turner’s casting as Sansa Stark was right on the nose.
How do Nasmith’s drawings compare to your mental images of people and places from the series?