Elsa Beskow 1874-1953

ELSA BESKOW (1874-1953)

Elsa Beskow, born Maartman, was born in Söder in the capital Stockholm. Her family existed of a mother and a father, four sisters and a brother. At an age of 15, her father died, leaving the mother alone with the children. This resulted in a move to the mothers younger un-married aunts and uncle who all lived together. The aunts and uncle later became figures in her stories about Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender (and Uncle Blue).

Even as a child she made up long stories which she told to her older brother Hans. During the years 1892-1895 Elsa studied at Tekniska skolan (the Technical School) to become a drawing-master. At the same time she began her drawing for children. Two years after finishing her education, Elsa got married to a priest and painter named Natanael Beskow. They got six sons (Stig, Gunnar, Börje, Bo, Göran and Dag). Later she often used her sons as figures in her stories and fairy tales. The couple got a house in Djursholm, Stockholm. The lushy garden stood as an inspiration for her stories' souled flowers and plants.

Her illustrations and stories were first publicated in 1894, in the children's magazine Jultomten (Santa Claus). The first children book was published in 1897, a picture book named 'Sagan om den lilla lilla gumman' (Tale of the Little Little Old Woman), today a famous classic. Her break through came 1901 with the publishing of 'Puttes äventyr i blåbärsskogen' (Peter in Blueberry Land). Many books has been published. In 1952, at an age of 78, Beskow wrote and illustrated her last book, 'Röda bussen och gröna bilen' (Red bus, green car). One year later she dies, 79 years old.

The illustrations of Elsa Beskow dominated the picture book art for about 50 years, and it is likely that many of today's painters have been influenced of her work of art. She is often called the Beatrix Potter of Scandinavia. The most remarkable of Beskow's literature form is her color pictures to the right and text and black silhouettes to the left. The nature is always very closeby in her stories, where flowers and plants have a face and the forests are full of gnomes, trolls and fairies. Some of her stories are interesting from a cultural-historical way, where we get to be aware of the details from the turn toward the 20th century.

In 1952 she recieved the Nils Holgersson Plaque for all her life's work, and in 1958 a price was named after her, the Elsa Beskow Plaque. The Elsa Beskow Plaque is distributed each year to the artist that has illustrated the best children book of the year before. As a monument, there is a marked named for her link to Djursholm, Elsa Beskows torg. Here is also a small statue in bronze, representing Elsa Beskow. Both Elsa and Natanael are buried at Djursholm Cemetery.

Se more at www.elsabeskow.se