Perhaps best known for the role of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films, Viggo Mortensen’s talents go far beyond just being an actor. He is also an accomplished painter and photographer. He has had a number of exhibitions of his work throughout the world. The image posted here is “Ride 26” by Viggo Mortensen. This image was one of the pieces in his 2002 exhibition at Robert Mann Gallery. He has published several books of his art and photography.

But wait, there’s more. Viggo Mortensen is also a poet and musician. He has published poetry books and CDs as well. And to top it off, he publishes these books and CDs with his own publishing company, Perceval Press. According to Wikipedia.com, “With part of his earnings from The Lord of the Rings, he founded the Perceval Press publishing house — named for the knight from the legend of King Arthur — to help other artists by publishing avant-garde works that might not find a home in more traditional publishing venues."

The definition of Renaissance Man is “a person who has wide interests and is expert in several areas.” I think this description fits.

See the following links for more information about Viggo Mortensen:

Viggo Mortensen at IMDB.com.

Links to Viggo Mortensen artwork on page 2 of the Pop Life Art celebrity artists list

Related blog entries:

Photographs By Viggo Mortensen To Be On Display In Iceland (Feb. 5, 2008)

Viggo Mortensen Talks About His Artwork (Oct 17, 2007)