Pauline Baynes
Pauline Baynes (1922-2008) was a prominent British illustrator best known for her work on C.S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia" series, beginning with "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" in 1950. Born in India, Baynes moved to England with her mother and sister in 1927, where she began her artistic journey. Although she attended the Slade School of Fine Art for just a year, her education was interrupted by World War II, during which she volunteered for the Ministry of Defense. After the war, she dedicated her evenings to her artwork while caring for her parents during the day. In 1961, she married Fritz Otto Gasch, a former German prisoner of war, and they shared a long partnership until his death in 1988. In addition to her work on Narnia, Baynes illustrated various stories by J.R.R. Tolkien, contributing maps for "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Her illustrations, initially in black and white, were later colored for special editions, solidifying her legacy in the realm of fantasy illustration.
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Pauline Baynes
Writer
- Born: September 9, 1922
- Birthplace: Brighton, East Sussex, England
- Died: August 2, 2008
Biography
Pauline Baynes was born in 1922 and spent the first five of her life in years in India, where her father was a commissioner in Agra. She and her elder sister were brought back to England by their mother in 1927 to begin their education. When her father retired, the family moved near Farnham. Baynes attended the Slade School of Fine Art for one year, but her formal education was cut short by World War II. During the war, she volunteered to work for the Ministry of Defense. When the war ended, Baynes moved into a cottage near her parents and looked after them during the day; this left her evenings free to concentrate on her artwork. In 1961, she met former German prisoner of war Fritz Otto Gasch, whom she married within weeks of their meeting. Despite their hasty union, the couple remained married for twenty-seven years, until Gasch died in 1988.
Baynes is most noted as the original illustrator for the Chronicles of Narnia series, written by C. S. Lewis. The first novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, was published in 1950. The original illustrations were in black and white, and were updated in color for the fiftieth-anniversary edition. Despite their shared work on the project, Baynes and Lewis only met in person twice. Baynes also provided the illustrations for several of J. R. R. Tolkien’s stories, including illustrated versions of the maps from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.