John Bauer (June 4, 1882 – November 20, 1918) was a
SwedishSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
painter and illustrator best known for his illustrations of
Bland tomtar och trollBland tomtar och troll, , is a popular Swedish folklore and fairy tales annual. Founded in 1907 and continuing to this very day, several of the foremost Swedish authors and illustrators have worked for the annual....
(
Among Gnomes and Trolls).
Princess Tuvstarr and the Fishpond (named after
Carex cespitosaCarex cespitosa is a species of perennial sedge of the genus Carex which can be found growing in bundles as the Latin species name suggests. The species is able to hybridise with the common sedge to produce a 20 to 50 cm tall plant, flowering from May to June...
), painted in 1913, is perhaps Bauer's most notable work.
John Bauer was born and raised in
JönköpingJönköping is a city in Småland in southern Sweden with 84,423 inhabitants in 2005. It is the 9th most populous city of Sweden.The city is the seat of Jönköping Municipality which has a population of 122,194 , and also the seat of Jönköping County which has a population of 331,539 .Jönköping is the...
with his two brothers and sister, Anna Bauer, whose early death at 13 had a profound effect on John and his brothers.
John Bauer (June 4, 1882 – November 20, 1918) was a
SwedishSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
painter and illustrator best known for his illustrations of
Bland tomtar och trollBland tomtar och troll, , is a popular Swedish folklore and fairy tales annual. Founded in 1907 and continuing to this very day, several of the foremost Swedish authors and illustrators have worked for the annual....
(
Among Gnomes and Trolls).
Princess Tuvstarr and the Fishpond (named after
Carex cespitosaCarex cespitosa is a species of perennial sedge of the genus Carex which can be found growing in bundles as the Latin species name suggests. The species is able to hybridise with the common sedge to produce a 20 to 50 cm tall plant, flowering from May to June...
), painted in 1913, is perhaps Bauer's most notable work.
Biography
John Bauer was born and raised in
JönköpingJönköping is a city in Småland in southern Sweden with 84,423 inhabitants in 2005. It is the 9th most populous city of Sweden.The city is the seat of Jönköping Municipality which has a population of 122,194 , and also the seat of Jönköping County which has a population of 331,539 .Jönköping is the...
with his two brothers and sister, Anna Bauer, whose early death at 13 had a profound effect on John and his brothers. Living in an apartment situated above their father's
charcuterieCharcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork. Charcuterie is part of the garde manger chef's repertoire...
, he was always given to sketching and drawing. At sixteen, he set off for
Stockholm' is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the Riksdag , and the official residence of the Swedish Monarch as well as the prime minister. The Monarch resides at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980 and uses the Royal Palace of...
to study art, and after two years he entered the
Royal Swedish Academy of ArtsThe Royal Swedish Academy of Arts or Kungl. Akademien för de fria konsterna, founded in 1773 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
.
At the academy he met Esther Ellquist, whom he would marry in December 1906. Together they embarked on a two-year long trip to
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
and
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
to study art (1908-1910). Bauer's wife became the model for many of Bauer's paintings, most notably
The Fairy Princess in 1905.
Bauer suffered from depression and self-doubts. By 1918 his marriage was falling apart, divorce was being discussed, and the world was at
warWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. John and Esther, and their two-year old son, Bengt or
Putte, were on their way to a new home in
Stockholm' is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the Riksdag , and the official residence of the Swedish Monarch as well as the prime minister. The Monarch resides at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980 and uses the Royal Palace of...
, where John hoped for spiritual renewal and a new life for himself and his family. In the wake of the recent well-publicized train accident of
Getå-History:On October 1 1918 it was the site of the worst train accident in Swedish railroad history, killing 42 people. Many passengers were burned alive as unreinforced wooden cars burned, killing many who had survived the actual crash but were trapped in the wreckage....
, John booked their return to Stockholm on a ferry, the
Per Brahe steamer. John Bauer died in the shipwreck of
Per Brahe along with Ester and Bengt.
Artistry
Bauer's early work was influenced to a large extent by
Albert EngströmAlbert Engström was a Swedish artist, author and member of the Swedish Academy from 1922. He was born in Lönneberga, Kalmar County , but spent most of his childhood in Hult where his father was stationmaster. He died in Stockholm...
and
Carl LarssonCarl Larsson was a Swedish painter and interior designer, representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement.-Biography:...
, two contemporaries and influential painters. Bauer's first major work was commissioned in 1904, when he was asked to illustrate a book on
LapplandLappland can refer to:* Lapland, Sweden* Lapland Province, Finland* rather loosely for much of the northern FennoscandiaUnlike the English word "Lapland", the Swedish word is not used to indicate the area specifically inhabited by the Sami people. An old Swedish word for the Sami area under Swedish...
. It was not until 1907 that he would become known for his illustrations of
Bland tomtar och trollBland tomtar och troll, , is a popular Swedish folklore and fairy tales annual. Founded in 1907 and continuing to this very day, several of the foremost Swedish authors and illustrators have worked for the annual....
, the yearly fairy tale book, in which his most highly acclaimed works would be published in the 1912-1915 editions.
Bauer also produced a
frescoFresco is any of several related painting types, done on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Italian word affresco which derives from the adjective fresco , which has Latin origins...
,
Den helige Martin (
The Holy Martin), which can be seen in the
Odd FellowsOdd Fellows can refer to one of the following friendly societies, fraternal and service organizations and/or Lodges:*Oddfellows - A British friendly society with origins in the 1700s which has spawned:...
lodge in
NyköpingNyköping is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 27,720 inhabitants in 2005. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.- History :...
. Bauer's themes can be found in later works by the illustrators
Arthur Rackham-Life:Rackham was born in London as one of 12 children. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art. In 1892 he quit his job and started working for The Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator...
,
Sulamith WülfingSulamith Wülfing was a German artist and illustrator. Her ethereal, enigmatic works depict fairy tales or mystical subjects.-Life:...
,
Kay NielsenKay Nielsen , was a Danish illustrator who was popular in the early 20th century, the "golden age of illustration" which lasted from when Daniel Vierge and other pioneers developed printing technology to the point that drawings and paintings could be reproduced with reasonable facility, He...
,
Brian FroudBrian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator. He lives and works in Devon with his wife, Wendy Froud, who is also a fantasy artist...
and
Rebecca GuayRebecca Guay is an artist specializing in watercolor painting and illustration. She is mostly known for her work commissioned by Magic: The Gathering, White Wolf, and DC Vertigo comics, though she has also done work for World of Warcraft TCG, the out of print Middle Earth CCG and in Wizards of the...
.
Modern day influence
- On the 100-year anniversary of the birth of John Bauer, the Swedish postal service
Posten AB is the name of the Swedish postal service. The word "posten" means "the post" or "the mail" in Swedish.Posten was established in 1636 by Axel Oxenstierna under the name Kungliga Postverket , although its origins can be traced further back, and it was operated as a government agency into...
made three, and later in 1997 four stampA postage stamp is adhesive paper evidence of a fee paid for postal services. Usually a small rectangle attached to an envelope, the stamp signifies the person sending it has fully or partly paid for delivery...
s with motifs from Bland tomtar och troll.
- A Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a geographical region in northern Europe that includes, and is named after, the Scanian Province. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark...
n franchise of private schools has derived its name and some themes from John Bauer, naming its classes after his characters, for example.
- He is mentioned in Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, audio theatre, and films. His notable works include The Sandman comic series, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
’s comic book series The Sandman.
- The visual look of the motion picture The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal is a 1982 fantasy film directed by puppeteers Jim Henson and Frank Oz, creators of The Muppet Show. Although still marketed as a family film, it was notably darker than previous material created by them. Characters for which they are famous do not appear, but some of the same...
, by Jim HensonJames Maury "Jim" Henson , was one of the most widely known puppeteers in American history. He was the creator of The Muppets...
and Frank OzFrank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor and puppeteer.-Early life:Oz was born in Hereford, England, the son of Frances and Isidore Oznowicz, both of whom were puppeteers. His parents were refugees from the Holocaust who moved to England after fighting the Nazis with the Dutch...
was inspired by the art of John Bauer.
- Norwegian Artist Mortiis
Mortiis is a band from Notodden, Norway fronted by Håvard Ellefsen, who is also known as the namesake of the band. The name is a misspelling of the word 'mortis', which is the pronunciation used by the band. However, Mortiis started as the solo project of Ellefsen as a means to convey a story...
uses the art of John Bauer on his Ambient albums.
Other Sources
- Helen Agrenius, The Artist John Bauer And His World (1996)
- Gunnar Lindqvist, John Bauer (1979)
- Anna Nilsson, John Bauer: Bland tomtar och troll(1999)
- Harald Schiller, John Bauer Sagotecknaren (1935)
External links