Taschen publishes Kay Nielsen's illustrated Scandinavian fairy tales in two editions

Taschen has released two editions of Kay Nielsen's illustrated classic 'East of the Sun and West of the Moon', bringing the Danish illustrator's work to Italian audiences. The book features tales collected by Norwegian folklorists Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in 1841, praised by the Brothers Grimm as the world's best. Nielsen, born in Copenhagen in 1886, studied at the Académie Julian in Paris and became a leading figure in early 20th-century illustration alongside Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac. His style blended influences from Aubrey Beardsley, Japanese woodcuts, and Art Deco. In 1939, he moved to California to work for Walt Disney on 'Fantasia' and an early version of 'The Little Mermaid'. Despite dying in poverty in 1957, his work is now celebrated. The Taschen editions include critical essays and rare artworks.