"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

When I drew my illustration The Hall at Bag End back in 2021, I wanted to capture that sense of comfort and also the threshold between home and adventure. The inspiration came from an art challenge prompt “Doorway,” so I chose to show the inside‑out view, emphasizing the doorway as the passage from the cosy hobbit hole to the wider world.

I based it closely on Tolkien’s own illustration of Bag End, although I also adopted certain elements from John Howe’s depiction, especially the two small windows beside the door, that I felt made it look more cosy. And the view from the door down the Hill was loosely based on Ted Nasmith’s illustratio A View of Hobbiton From The Hill, itself echoing Tolkien’s own rendering of Hobbiton.

Looking back, I see this illustration as a dialogue between Tolkien’s vision and the interpretations of later artists, with my own perspective added.

I also made art prints of it: matejcadil.etsy.com/lis…

Have you ever imagined what would it be like to live in Bag End? Does a hobbit hole mean comfort to you?