1996 The Balrog and Gandalf Poster, by John Howe, from 999 Games, You shall not pass, Durin's Bane, Lord of the Rings, print wall art decor

This poster is by John Howe who is one of the leading artists in Tolkien artwork. It shows the pivotal showdown of Gandalf the Grey with the ancient Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad-dum as he strikes the bridge with his staff to send them both tumbling in the abyss. It is a Dutch poster with "Lord of the Rings" in Dutch.
John Howe had a much sought after limited edition of 166 signed copies of this poster.
Dimensions: 27.5 in x 19.5 in (70 cm x 50 cm)

A Balrog awoke in Khazad-dûm when the Dwarves had mined too deep for mithril. It drove the Dwarves out of their home and slew King Durin VI, and the Balrog was thereafter called "Durin's Bane". During the War of the Ring, the Fellowship of the Ring passed through Moria and encountered Durin's Bane, which pursued them to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf the Grey fought the Balrog, allowing the Fellowship to escape Moria. Both fell into the abyss, but the battle continued at the peak of Zirakzigil. It ended with the demon slain, however Gandalf also died. Gandalf was later "sent back" by the Valar, as Gandalf the White.

"You cannot pass," he said. The Orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass."
—Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"

John Howe and Alan Lee were the leading designers in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy set of movies from Peter Jackson. You can see that these earlier posters show a strong resemblence to those later films, his influence is undeniable.

John Howe is best-known for his artwork of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Howe and Tolkien artist Alan Lee served as chief conceptual designers for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Howe illustrated the Lord of the Rings board game created by Reiner Knizia, and re-illustrated the maps of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion in 1996–2003.

For The Hobbit films, original director Guillermo del Toro and replacement director Peter Jackson consulted with both Howe and fellow conceptual artist Alan Lee to ensure continuity of design.

These posters are sent as unframed. They will be sent in a cardboard tube for protection.

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