John Bauer

”I stood at a height. The ground lay dark around me and above me the sky arched with its stars. I felt acutely how small I was and how I stood firmly on the shadowed side of the earth, grounded by the forces of gravity. I had the whole world above me”

This is how the artist John Bauer in 1901 wrote in a letter to his college Axel Kleimer upon returning from his ski trip. The quote could even be used to describe the auctions current watercolours which Bauer completed in 1912 with the title, “He did not rest for a moment until he reached the twilight.” It was published in the sixth edition of "Among Gnomes and Trolls" for the story "Vinga’s Garland" by Ellen Lundberg-Nyblom and depicts a remorseful Prince Mino riding under the starry night sky. He is on his way to his older brother, who he, earlier in the story, imprisoned for deceiving the populace into thinking his brother was insane – a deception fueled by his intention of proclaiming himself king of the land. In Bauer’s rendition of the story, Prince Mino, after recognizing his sins, is depicted returning to prison to confront his brother.

The quote from Bauer's 1901 letter also expresses the broader intellectual symbolist movement which infiltrated the artistic practice among several European artists at the turn of the century. The 1900s was a time plagued by industrialization, modernity, and scholarly knowledge, and thus during this transformative period many artists turned their gaze towards the shadowy sides of existence and the mysteries of humanity. Nordic artists embarked upon an exploration of the mystique of nature, often drawing upon ancient myths and fairy tales.

Illustrated magazines and books experienced a boom at the turn of the century due to advancements in printing technology in the late 1800s. Artists were commissioned as illustrators, among whom Carl Larsson was most notable. John Bauer was early on offered the chance to create illustrations and was strongly influenced by his predecessor’s style. He developed a fondness for fairy tale illustrations and his first major assignment was Anna Wahlenberg’s fairy tale collection "A Long, Long Time Ago."

In 1907, the first edition of the fairy tale book "Among Gnomes and Trolls" was published by Åhlén & Åkerlund, and Bauer was appointed the responsibility of illustrating its stories. In the early editions between 1907 and 1910 one can see the artist’s development and discovery of his own style, but it wasn’t until the years of 1912 through to 1915 where the artist reaches the pinnacle of his creative maturity, and it is in these years where the majority of his most beloved artworks were conceived.