Who illustrated the original Chronicles of Narnia books?

Pauline Baynes illustrated the original Chronicles of Narnia books. Her black-and-white drawings and maps became closely associated with C.S. Lewis’s fantasy series from its first publication.

Baynes was born in 1922 and trained at the Slade School of Fine Art. She also illustrated works by J.R.R. Tolkien, including early editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, making her an important visual link between the two Oxford authors’ literary worlds.

Baynes’s Narnia illustrations appeared in the books’ early editions and helped readers visualize characters such as Aslan, the Pevensies, Mr. Tumnus, and the White Witch. Her work is sometimes confused with later film concept art or with illustrations by other fantasy artists.

The books have received many later editions with redesigned covers and occasional new artwork, but Baynes remains the canonical original illustrator. Her contribution extended beyond individual pictures: she also created maps and helped establish the series’ visual identity.