Six black-and-white plates of various sizes in a 12.5" x 18" printed folder.
This is #685 of 1200 copies, signed and numbered by the artist on the first plate.
Art by P. Craig Russell. Inspired by Richard Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung" opera cycle. Introduction by Patrick C. Mason.
Limited edition portfolios were a phenomenon of the 1970s and 80s. They grew out of a greater appreciation of comic and fantasy artists. Middle-Earth lead the way publishing a 1973 portfolio of Frank Frazetta drawings that quickly sold out its 500-copy print run. It was followed by Barry Smith's Tupenny Conan Portfolio in 1974 and another Frazetta portfolio, The Lord of the Rings, in 1975. This lead to a decade of large format, limited edition portfolios: a suite of new illustrations created without restrictions or censorship, with better printing on better paper, reproduced in a large size, to fully appreciate the artwork.