John Bauer 1882-1918

John Bauer

JOHN BAUER (1882-1918)

Born in Jönköping 1882, John Bauer was early admitted to the great art school Konstakademien in the capital Stockholm, by the age of 18. Earlier he had worked hard on two preparing art schools in Stockholm. He and his wife Ester took off to Germany and Italy for study tours, while the majority of art students took their way to Paris. In 1907, he started to illustrate the piece of art work that made him famous, the saga collection 'Bland tomtar och troll' (Among Gnomes and Trolls). Painting the Swedish landscape with its deep forests and mythical creatures, the old Swedish folk beliefs of trolls, wood nymphs and gnomes. Soon, John Bauer was reckon as Sweden's most brilliant saga illustrator. Except this, Bauer also made other art works which has not been as famous.

As Bauer was moving from Bunn in Småland they took the way through the lake Vättern on the 20 of November 1918. The steamer Per Brahe was wrecked during an autumn storm. All crew of 16 and all of 8 passengers died. John Bauer, wife Ester Ellqvist and son Bengt could not be buried until four years later. John Bauer was 36 years old. They are buried on the East Cemetery in his hometown Jönköping. The tragic excident was well written about in the newspapers and made John Bauer even more famous.

Today his hometown of Jönköping has named a path after him, John Bauerleden, which reckon to be the most beautiful path through Husqvarna and Gränna. On this track, you can almost sense the presence of both trolls and princesses.