"Of the Kinslaying at Alqualondė more is told in that lament which is named Noldolantė, the fall of the Noldor, that Maglor made ere he was lost..."
J. R. R. Tolkien. The Silmarillion
What is the greatest deed of heroism in the Silmarillion? Fingolfin fighting Morgoth? Finrod fighting the wolf with his bare hands in Tol-in-Gaurhoth? Glorfindel, Ecthelion, Fingon, Fėanor fighting Balrogs?
Or is it facing your own most terrible mistake and putting it into song for all the world to know?
Or, as a user put it on thetolkienforum.com: "So it remains lost to history... but you know those feelings you get when you read the Silmarillion? The sudden blow of sadness when Finrod dies? The indescribable elation when Turgon appears during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears? That's the folk memory of Noldolantė. Deep down inside, all Silmarillion fans know the song... The true beauty of the Silmarillion. "
Pencil shading and watercolour wash on watercolour paper. I could *not* get my scanner to reproduce this in any way that even half gave it justice, so I had to improvise. This version is pencil shading and watercolour texture put together in Photoshop.
I just can't express myself! The quote you gave about Noldolantė is incredibly true and that exactly who I feel when I read the Silmarillion or when I see your drawings, especially this one. I am speechless.
*sigh* This is just such a beautiful picture. The contrast between Maglor in the song, right above Maglor the singer, is quite poignant. I'm just like MAEDHROS WHAT ARE YOU DOING
I read this months ago, and it's one of those things that's stuck in my mind and put a new spin on how I perceive the character.
As for the picture, it's amazing! Maglor's body language is just perfect.