The votes are in! We’re closing in on 3,000 votes total, so thanks to everyone for getting around it. Welcome to the semi finals of our contest to find the greatest work of art in the Warhammer fantasy canon; and if you missed the original article, you can catch it right here:
As well as the Top 8 voting here:
Now with 12/16 of your nominations eliminated, we move on to the semi finals:
Notes on the Top 8 Round
We mentioned in our previous article that the great Karl Kopinski has been suffering from ill-health, and the PC team continues to wish the strongest possible recovery to Karl, who is represented in this competition through the classic Breton Bowmen.
Two of our quarter finals were emphatic wins (for Breton Bowmen and Cities of Sigmar); the other two were far tighter, both finishing 52-48. Our two Mordheim representatives did reach the end of the road but it speaks to the special place that setting has in Warhammer history that there were multiple Mordheim artworks in the Top 8. We did pair up classic vs newer Warhammer art as far as possible, and that dynamic continues to manifest through the bracket here in both of our semi final matchups.
Lastly, we do still have two works whose artists we have been unable to identify, which we’ve labelled as Cities of Sigmar and Nagash and Morghast. These are great works of fantasy art and both deserve full recognition, so if you’re able to point us in the right direction, we’d love to give credit to the artists.
Now, shall we get into the next round of voting?
Cities of Sigmar (Artist Unknown) vs White Dwarf 250 (Geoff Taylor)
Cities of Sigmar
Nominated by Will: “I like this one because it shows the contrast between the high fantasy elements of the setting and the regular people existing in it”.
What we said: Spot on. This piece exemplifies a really important subgenre in AOS art that illustrates everyday life away from the field of battle, with ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Here we see humanity, battered but unbroken.
White Dwarf 250
Nominated by Graal: “The new WHFB box when I first started playing, and also the cover art of the first White Dwarf issue I ever had! While I don’t own any Destruction armies now, Orcs & Goblins was my first army back then ”
What we said: That first WHFB starter box always holds a special place in our memories – hopefully the young ins coming up now will have the same affection for Dominion and Skaventide. For me it was Cardboard Grom the Paunch, and for Hakan it was this classic artwork by Geoff Taylor.
Nagash and Morghast (Artist Unknown) vs Breton Bowmen (Karl Kopinski)
Nagash and Morghast
Nominated by Michael Thomson. Umm…what’s happening to those people being herded forwards? I’m gonna say “nothing good”. A dramatic reminder that Nagash is an unknowable eldritch God, and the representation we see on the tabletop (as cool as it is) is merely an avatar.
Breton Bowmen
Nominated by Nic Wright: “I’m shouting out who I consider to be the literal GOAT of Warhammer art – Karl Kopinski. For me he is the father of immersion in the world of Warhammer. He was grim before it was dark.
Kopinski had that iconic sketchbook style that enables his work to pull you into a setting at the touch of a brush. An unbelievable artist who formed the backbone of much of the most-publicized and timeless art from Fantasy AND 40k. I can’t think of another artist of this ilk who has had so many miniatures created from direct replicas of his art as Karl.”
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for voting. We’ll leave this poll open for a week or so, then smash into the final round, where we’ll report the results so far and invite you to vote on the ultimate winner.
Until then – have a good weekend, nerds. See you on the other side.
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