Which story by J.R.R. Tolkien features the painter Niggle?

“Leaf by Niggle” is the J.R.R. Tolkien story that features the painter Niggle.

First published in 1945, the story follows Niggle, an artist who struggles to complete a vast painting of a tree. He is repeatedly distracted by practical obligations and by concern for his neighbour, Parish.

The story is often interpreted as partly autobiographical because its themes resemble Tolkien’s experiences as a writer and creator. Niggle’s unfinished tree can suggest the difficulty of completing a large imaginative project, although Tolkien’s allegorical intentions are not reducible to a single explanation.

“Leaf by Niggle” is a short story rather than a Middle-earth narrative. It appeared in the collection Tree and Leaf, where it was paired with Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy-Stories.”