John Bauer's fairy-tale illustrations belong to the most cherished images of any Swede, and have shaped the way we look at the Swedish countryside. This is real Bauer forest, we may say on our walk. And before our mind's eye there emerges one of his dark, atmospheric water-colours. Maybe the one showing Princess Tuvstarr, framed by majestic trees, looking wistfully into the dark waters of the tarn? Or maybe the one with the impish trolls who could so easily be mistaken for the huge boulders among the dark shadows? Or the one with the intrepid shepard boy receiving a magic plant from the troll's coarse hand? In this book we get to know the artist behind the work. We follow the young boy, dreaming of becoming an artist, the aspiring student, and the triumphs and trials of the grown man. The story of the artist's life, work and character is based upon the roughly one thousand sketches, the finished works, and the rich archive of letters and photographs kept by Jonkoping County Museum.
