Best Gothmog image?

[Veldrin]

Which version of Gothmog do you like the best?

The published version?

www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=3255

or the first version which was changed?

www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=3535

[glow=green,2,300]Veldrin[/glow]

[mrweasely]

The original looks like an upstanding minion and all, but I love the published version for its ambiguity. Is that guy a Nazgul? A fallen Numenorean? Maybe an orc with excellent posture? The painting does nothing to resolve these ambiguities.

[madwoffen]

I think I read Gothmog was an orc commander on Legends of 3rd age when they cleared the confusion about the name which was also the name of the Lord of Balrogs.
It was a notice or something from JRR Tolkien's son.

Or maybe was it on some role playing book/magazine. Hard to say as it was more than a deceny ago...

[uthoroc]

This is what the Encyclopedia of Arda has to say on Gothmog (My ultimate Tolkien reference):
www.glyphweb.com/arda/g/gothmog2.html

Therefore I'm with MrWeasly on this, ambiguity is good!

[Lord Aragorn]

The published version is better.