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Thread: John Bauer (1882-1918) was a Swedish artist who painted landscapes & mythology. He is famed for his images of gnomes & trolls. He was a short-lived artist but his work lives on in the imagination. And She Held Up a Key (1915), Princess (c1913) & Troll (1914) 
Bauer was born to a German dad & a Swedish Mother in Jönköping. He went to tech school (1892-8) where he was always drawing. He studied with an artist for two years & then went to the Academy of Arts 1900-5. Matts (1903), Fairy Princess (1904) & An Old Mountain Troll (1904)
To celebrate the success of the Affordable Art Project I’ve decided to do a 2 for 1 deal before 31st May - take a look:
I’ve found it hard to get dates for his work but most of it was done between 1900-18. Father (1900), Into the Wide World (1907) & Life Study (nd). Life study is probably from his days at the Academy where studying the nude was part of the curriculum.
He travelled to Lappland in 1904 & he portrayed the Sami people in Skansen. His work would be informed by that experience in later life. Lapplanders in Snowstorm (1904-5), Mountain Troll (nd) & Mountain Trolls (nd). He was fascinated with delving into the Swedish imagination.
He started to go out with fellow artist Ester Ellqvist in 1903. She was his muse & he would portray her in many guises from princess to Valkyrie. At that moment she was changed by magic to a wonderful little fairy (1907), Ester (1907), Self-Portrait (1908) & Ester (self-portrait)
Bauer had his first exhibits in 1905 & in 1906. He married in 1906 & he would try to support them with his illustration work but also relied on his parents to help them. Princess Daga (1907), Lucia (nd) & Boys in Lappland (nd)
In 1908 the couple travelled to Italy. When they arrived back in Sweden they purchased a house at Gränna. Bauer was fascinated with Botticelli & della Francesca. Julbock (1912) & Brother Martin (1913)
Swede’s are most familiar with Bauer’s illustrations which have a magical quality & innocent humour. Troll (1910), You Villain, You Rogue (1913-4) & Magician’s Cape (1913-4)
In 1914 he completed his illustrations for Among Gnomes & Trolls. Brother Martin & The Three Trolls (1913), In the Christmas Night (1913) & The Princess & The Trolls (1913) & Poor Little Bear (1912)
Despite his travels Bauer was always homesick for the Swedish forests & much of his work is based on the shadowy hunting places between the ancient pines. The Queens Pearl Necklace (1914) & The Ring (1914)
Friends claimed that Bauer actually believed the forests were populated by fantastic beasts, Trolls & fairy royalty. Princess Tuvstarr gazing down into the dark waters of the forest tarn (1913), Lena Dances with the Knight (1915) & Mother Love (1917)
Money was always tight for the family & this put a strain on the Bauer’s relationship. Root Trolls (1917), Mountain Gate (1918), Christmas Eve (1914) & Humpe (1914). The Root Trolls is a portrait of his son sleeping amongst his Troll characters.
With the birth of his son the couple’s relationship improved but whereas his mother had been the muse, now it was the little boy’s turn. The Boy & The Trolls (1915) & Cabaret (1914)
Bauer’s command of black & white was superb & he created mystical illustrations for tales, some of which were prints as well. Good Evening Uncle, said Boy (nd), Here You Have all that Remains of my Clothes (nd), Two Suitors (nd) & The Little Princess & the Trolls (nd)
This set of four works shows his mastery of the print medium. He allows the dominance of black to allow his characters to shine forth. Magic Horse (nd), Such a Miserable Little Washed Out Thing, said Troll (nd), Princess & Little Trolls (nd) & Trolls Step-Daughter (nd)
He also created portraits & landscapes but they did not enter the consciousness in the same way as his mythological work. Freja (1905), Portrait of an Elegant Lady (nd) & Same in the Woods (nd)
Bauer, his wife & son booked passage on a steam ship to Stockholm in 1918. He was a nervous traveller & didn’t trust trains. Yule-Goat (1917), Blue Eve (1918), Blue Bird (nd) & Children & The Stone Troll (nd)
On the 19th of November the ship took off for Stockholm. The boat was top-heavy; the weather was bad. In the Woods (nd), It’s Beautiful Here (nd), Nila’s Victim (nd) & The Christmas Elves (nd). I love his use of colour & negative space in the latter picture.
The bad weather caused the cargo to move on the ship, the ship rolled & capsized & all 24 passengers went down with the craft. The Giant who Slept for 10,000 years & Troll (nd), The Giant, The Earthquake (nd) & The Princess & The Troll (nd)
Even in death Bauer was not to be separated from the creatures of folklore. Newspapers carried stories of the mythical denizens having claimed him into the watery deep. The Witch of Hulta Wood (nd), Boy in a Tree (nd) & Equestrian Scene (nd)
Bauer was influenced by Theodor Kittelsen, yet created his own style. Here’s an overview of Kittelsen:
Here’s more on the Affordable Art Project with images normally at €700 reduced to €150 to make contemporary art available to everyone:
