"- the great fairytale artist for the Swedish people"
John Bauer was born
in Jönköping, Sweden in 1882. At the age of 16 years, he traveled to Stockholm
to study art, and two years later he was accepted at the Royal Academy of Art.
John spent much time in the mountains and the forests of Sweden, where he got
inspiration for a lot of his artwork. 
No matter how twisted and ugly his trolls might be, they were not frightening. It is their eyes that make John Bauer's troll look friendly. Even when they were performing dastardly deeds or were the size of a mountain, they were drawn with such a gentle humor and with such sympathy that their features were kind of pleasant.
In 1907 John Bauer began his illustrations for "Among Pixies and Trolls". This was a collection of fairy tales written by several Swedish authors, and was published every year at Christmas time. Through these illustrations, Bauer became the great fairytale artist for the Swedish people.
Online resources about John Bauer and his drawings:
http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/bauer.htm
http://www.goblindesign.com/tome/gallery/past/artists/bauer/tbauer.htm
http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/bauer.htm
======> back to the "Troll Collectors Corner"