NIELSEN, Kay

Born in Copenhagen, Kay Nielsen came from a theatrical background, his mother was an actress and his father a theatrical director. Nielsen studied art at the Acadamie Julian in Paris and, after an exhibition in a Bond Street Gallery, acquired commissions from Hodder and Stoughton to illustrate a series of fairy tale books. Nielsen illustrated four major gift books, the most celebrated of which, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, drew inspiration from the Nordic tales of his childhood. Nielsen soon abandoned book illustration and moved to America, where he worked on various theatrical and film projects, providing drawings for Disney’s Fantasia. Nielsen’s work is highly distinctive, capturing a fantastical element unrivalled by other artists of the period, whilst clearly drawing on the influences of Beardsley, Art Nouveau, Jessie King and Harry Clarke. “These are romantic illustrations full of fine drawing and tremendous energy. ... Clearly the art of the East, the heady world of the Russian Ballet and childhood memories of Northern folklore - the world of Ibsen and Grieg - have combined to create this powerful imaginative art.” (Michael Felmingham)

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Blog Post: Kay Nielsen's Fantasy World