An Illustrated Treasury of Swedish Folk and Fairy Tales

John Bauer (1882-1918) was a highly acclaimed Swedish artist. Influenced by Anders Zorn and Carl Larsson, and by the fantasy work of Arnold Bocklin, he started illustrating fairy stories whilst still a student at the Swedish Royal Academy. His best-known illustrations were for an annual Christmas book for children, Bland Tomtar och Troll (Among Elves and Trolls), which delighted readers with their gentle humour and delicate detail. Bauer died at the age of just 35 when he, his wife and their three-year-old son were drowned when a ferry they were taking to Jonkoping sank in Lake Vättern. He created an enormous volume of work before his untimely death, and over one thousand of his paintings, drawings and sketches are housed at The Jönköping Läns Museum in Sweden