Kay Nielsen Collection at Spirit of the Ages

Here, we present a selection of the more than 200 antique and vintage images from Kay Nielsen, including:

As enthusiasts, while preparing these illustrations in the largest size possible, we appreciate the desirability of replicating

the line, form, colour and finish of these wonderful images just as they would have appeared to Nielsen. To that end,

throughout the page that follows, we have shown images optimised for reproduction in larger formats - usually in a

manner pleasing for 10 x 13" or 10 x 15" framing options. We consider those formats identified to be the largest that

allows the accurate reproduction of form, line and colour as prepared by Nielsen and originally printed in the 1st Edition

plates. To reproduce the images, we have utilised a high definition capture and reproduction technique and ensure that

the prints are displayed with a satin finish that reproduces the visual appearance of the original plates.

Purchasing one, or more, of those reproductions is a simple as clicking on the "Add to Cart" buttons and following the

We have also developed a range of Giftware that includes images reproduced on cards, infants' clothing, T-shirts and

unmatted, matted or framed prints (8x6", 10x8", 12x10", 15x10" and 30 x 20" images sizes). Pricing starts at US$4 for single

Gift Cards (US$18 for select packs of 6) and 10 x 8" prints (double-matted and framed) begin at US$60. Further details

on those reproduction images are available at the Giftware section of this site.

with the Stock Code of the plate, or plates in question and a brief description.

In the meantime, enjoy browsing our selection of genuine vintage and antique plates.

Kay Nielsen (1886-1957) is considered among a triumvirate of artists - the others being Arthur Rackham and Edmund

Dulac - leading what has been termed the Golden Age of Fantasy Illustration. His illustrations from East of the Sun

and West of the Moon are among his masterpieces and were produced in 1914. Following World War I, he produced

other great works, including Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen, Hansel and Gretel and Other Stories from the

Nielsen also prepared illustrations for titles that were not fated for publication in books - the first four such illustrations

we are able to show were displayed initially at his first London exhibition and include images from his "Book of Death"

suite and the illustrations for the tragic tale of Pierrot. We also show illustrations specially commissioned for the 1913

Christmas Edition of The Illustrated London News and accompanied Perrault in Powder and Patch: Famous and Familiar

Fairy Stories in their Proper Guise. Another two very special images we show appear to have been prepared in 1914 to

accompany a version of The Monk of Fife - a romance of the days of Jeanne D'Arc (St Joan or Joan of Arc). A further

suite of images was prepared prior to 1923 for a version of A Thousand and One Nights that was not published due to

Nielsen's illustrations are rich with Art Nouveau influences, in addition to incorporating design elements from other

traditions. Art Nouveau and Meiji Era aesthetes (most noticeably in the form of what may be an homage to

Hokusai's "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa") are clearly shown throughout East of the Sun and West of the Moon. His

other work is similarly lavish while adopting slightly softer methods that are, to some degree, reminiscent of his earliest

The following extract from Contemporary Illustrators of Children's Books (1930) provides Nielsen with an opportunity

In Powder and Crinoline is a selection of fairy tales compiled and translated by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch - an

English critic, writer and compiler - but the concept for the project, including the title, originated with the

illustrator - a then, young, Kay Nielsen. The superb illustrations contributed by Kay Nielsen and his creativity in

The tales comprising In Powder and Crinoline include: "Minon-Minette"; "Felicia or The Pot of Pinks";

"The Twelve Dancing Princesses"; "Rosanie or The Inconstant Prince"; "The Man Who Never Laughed";

Nielsen's colour illustrations were completed for this contribution throughout 1912 and 1913 and for the

reproduced images, Nielsen insisted on a 4-colour process - in contrast to the 3-colour process typically used by

his contemporaries, including Arthur Rackham. The illustrations draw on a number of artistic tradition, but are

typical of Nielsen's idiosyncratic style - The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales describing his contribution to

Felicia listening to the hen's story

Code: KN IPC 18

"This good Fairy placed her own baby in a cradle

of roses and gave command to the zephyrs to carry

him to the tower"

Code: KN IPC 19

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 20

The Princesses on the way to the dance

Code: KN IPC 21

When the cock crowed

Code: KN IPC 22

She stopped as if to speak to him

Code: KN IPC 23

"Don't drink!" cried out the little Princess, springing

to her feet; "I would rather marry a gardener!"

(Frontispiece)

Code: KN IPC 24

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 25

Rosanie; or, The Inconstant Prince

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 26

"I have had such a terrible dream," she declared, "... a pretty

bird swooped down, snatch it from my hands and

flew away with it"

Code: KN IPC 27

A look - a kiss - and he was gone

Code: KN IPC 28

Each was delicious in her different way; and, for

the life of him, he could not make up his mind!

Code: KN IPC 29

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 30

The Man Who Never Laughed

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 31

The ship headed about the sped over the

depths of the sea

Code: KN IPC 32

And the mirror told him that his were indeed

the withered face and form

Code: KN IPC 33

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 34

John and the Ghosts

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 35

"It's about the Princess, my daughter.

She has not smiled for a whole year."

Code: KN IPC 36

"Your soul! - My soul!" they kept saying in

hollow tones, according as they won or lost

Code: KN IPC 37

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 38

The Czarina's Violet

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 39

Bismarck discovering the soldier

Code: KN IPC 40

The old woman who knew the story

Code: KN IPC 41

Czarina's Archery

Code: KN IPC 42

Monotone Illustration

Code: KN IPC 43

"The Drawings of Kay Nielsen" (The International Studio, 1913)

In 1913, The International Studio, published an article by Marion Hepworth Dixon - "The Drawing of Kay Nielsen" -

accompanied by a number of colour and monotone images, including a number of illustrations from a suite of images

entitled "The Book of Death". Within the article, the author undertakes a survey of Nielsen's career to date, in addition

to providing a critique of his artistic approach and technique. A portion of the article is reproduced below.

There is a high sense of drama in his outlook. Can anyone studying the sorrow of Pierrot in "The Book

of Death" series fail to be struck by the drawing called Solitude? Technically, it is all a pen-and-ink should

be. The blacks are superb, while with rare felicity the sketch conveys its tragic meaning with a curious

economy of line.

First seen at the Dowdeswell Galleries in New Bond Street in July 1912 when Mr Kay Nielsen's initial

one-man show was inaugurated, the illustrations to "The Book of Death" were made one of the principal

features of the exhibition. They were certainly not the least arresting and poignant of the drawings. The

theme, no doubt, as well as the sincerity of the artist's mood, largely accounted for their popularity.

Pierrot loves a young an lovely maiden, as every Pierrot should, but a sharp foreboding - some imminent

presage of disaster - is ever present to the lovers.

In addition to the illustrations appearing accompanying that article within The International Studio, a further example of

Nielsen's monotone work related to the story of Pierrot appeared in the 1913 Christmas Edition of The Illustrated London

News, "Pierrot Disconsolate".

The Chasm

Code: KN DKN 1

10 x 15" Reproduction: US$48

Solitude

Code: KN DKN 2

10 x 15" Reproduction: US$36

Shadows of the Night

Code: KN DKN 3

10 x 15" Reproduction: US$48

Pierrot Disconsolate

Code: KN PD 1

10 x 15" Reproduction: US$36

Perrault in Powder and Patch: Famous and Familiar Fairy Stories in their Proper Guise

(The Illustrated London News, 1913 Christmas Edition)

Kay Nielsen was commissioned by The Illustrated London News, to illustrate four French fairy tales: "Le Belle au

Bois Dormant" ("The Sleeping Beauty"); "Le Chat Boitté" ("Puss in Boots"); "Cendrillon" ("Cinderella"); and

"La Barbe Bleue" ("Bluebeard").

Within the plate, the images are signed by Kay Nielsen and dated 1913. The images are accompanied within the

Christmas Edition by condensed versions of the full tales.

Le Belle au Bois Dormant

The Sleeping Beauty

A King and Queen, long childless, to their sorrow, rejoiced greatly when at last a daughter was born to them. Seven fairies stood sponsor at her baptism, but there appeared also an old fairy, unbidden, for all believed her dead or bewitched. She, deeming herself slighted, after six Fairies had bestowed good gifts on the child, declared that the Princess should prick her hand with a spindle and die. Now the seventh Fairy, foreseeing this malicious intent, had waited to the end to make her own gift, and pronounced that the maiden should not die, but sleep for a hundred years. The King proclaimed that none should spin in his kingdom, nor possess a spindle. But when the Princess was about sixteen years old, in a turret of a certain castle she chanced upon an ancient dame who sat and span, having never heard the King's command. The Princess took the spindle, and, pricking herself therewith, fell into a trance. Seeing the doom was fulfilled, the King bade them lay the Princess on a fair bed, with raiment of gold and silver. The good Fairy came, at his behest, and touched with her wand all that were in the castle, and made great trees grow up about it. After a hundred years, the son of the King then reigning, who was of another family than that of the Princess, one day while hunting perceived the thick and lofty wood. From an ancient henchman he learned that in a castle within that wood lay the loveliest Princess in the world, doomed to sleep for a hundred years until wakened by a King's son. Then the Prince entered the wood, where none before him had been able to go, and coming to the castle, found the chamber where the Princess lay. He knelt and kissed her and the charm was ended. She awoke, and with her the whole court, and, after they had partaken of a banquet, the Prince and Princess were wedded in the castle chapel.

Code: KN PPP 1

10 x 15" Reproduction: US$36

Image

Detail

Le Chat Botté

Puss in Boots

A miller, at his death, left to his eldest son his mill, to the second his ass, and to the youngest his cat. The third son was bewailing his lot when the cat said: "Only give me a sack, and a pair of boots for going in the brambles, and you will see that you are not so badly provided for." Having trapped a rabbit in his sack, the cat presented it to the King from his master, "The Marquis of Carabas." From time to time he took the King other gifts of game. One day, hearing that his Majesty would go a-driving with his daughter by a river, Puss bade his master go bathe in the stream, and when the King drove by, cried out, "Help! Help! the Marquis of Carabas is drowning!" The King sent his servants to save him while the cat declared that thieves had stolen his master's clothes, so his Majesty had some of his own brought for the Marquis to put on. He looked so brave in them that the princess fell in love with him, and he with her. The cat ran on before the carriage, telling all the peasants reaping that, if they did not say that the land belonged to the Marquis of Carabas, they would be cut to pieces. So when the King inquired, that all replied, "To the Marquis of Carabas, your Majesty." At length the Cat came to a great castle where dwelt an ogre, the real owner of those domains. "I am told," said the Cat to the Ogre, "that you can change into all kind of animals." Thereupon the Ogre became a lion, and Puss though sore afraid, remarked: "I can scarce believe that you could also change into the smallest animals, such as a rat or a mouse." Straightway the Ogre became a mouse, whereon Puss pounced upon him and devoured him. When the King arrived, Puss welcomed him to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas. His Majesty presently asked the Marquis to come his son-in-law, and so the miller's youngest son married the Princess that very day.

Code: KN PPP 2

10 x 15" Reproduction: US$48

Image

Detail

Cendrillon

Cinderella

A man once took as his second wife a proud woman, who had two daughters of a like disposition. He himself had one young daughter, who was sweet and kind, as her mother had been. The stepmother gave her all the vilest tasks of the house, while her step-sisters lived in luxury, but the poor child endured it all patiently. When her work was done she would sit among the cinders on the hearth: so she was called Cendrillon. One day the King's son invited the two sisters to a ball. Cendrillon helped them dress, and did their hair, but when they had gone she wept. Her godmother, who was a Fairy, finding her in tears, bade her bring a pumpkin from the garden, six lizards, and six mice and a rat from the traps. The pumpkin she changed into a gilded coach, the rat into a coachman, the lizards into lacqueys, and the mice into six grey horses. Cendrillon's ragged clothes became robes of silver and gold, flashing with jewels, and her godmother also gave her two dear little glass slippers. She warned her not to stay at the ball beyond midnight, else all would change back into their former shapes. The King's son was charmed with Cendrillon, but before midnight she disappeared, so the next evening he gave another ball. As the clock began striking midnight she suddenly fled from the palace, losing one of her glass slippers as she ran. The Prince proclaimed that he would marry the maiden on whose foot it fit perfectly. When the heralds came to Cendrillon's home her sisters mocked when she asked to put it on, but it fitted her foot exactly, and they she produced its fellow from her pocket. Just then her godmother arrived, and changed her rags into a dress more splendid that before. Her sisters recognised with amazement the lovely Princess who was at the ball. Cendrillon forgave them, and when she married the Prince she brought them to the palace and found them husbands in two noble couriers.

Code: KN PPP 3

10 x 15" Reproduction: US$48

Image

Detail

La Barbe Bleue

Bluebeard

Once there lived a man who, though very rich, unfortunately had a blue beard, which made him so ugly and terrible that every woman shunned hum. Now a lady of quality who dwelt near had two fair daughters, and Bluebeard asked for one of them in marriage. Neither wished to wed a man with a blue beard, and what they misliked the more was that he had already married several wives, and none knew what had become of them. Nevertheless, Bluebeard entertained them so hospitably that at length the younger began to find that his beard was not so blue after all. The marriage took place, and after a month Bluebeard told his wife that he must make a journey. He bade her make good cheer with her friends during his absence, and gave her all his keys: but one little key - that of a certain cupboard - he forbade her to use on pain of his exceeding wrath. Curiosity, however, overcame her. She opened the cupboard, and found therein the bodies of his murdered wives. Bluebeard returned, and, seeing blood upon the little key, told her she must die. Weeping, she begged for a little time to pray, and be allowed he allowed her half a quarter of an hour. Then se called her sister, and said: "Sister Anne, climb to the top of the tower to see if my brothers are coming, and sign to them to hasten." And many times she called, "Sister Anne, see you nothing coming?" and each time Sister Anne replied, "I see nothing but the sun shining and the grass growing green." Bluebeard, the while, waited below with a great cutlass in his hand. Sister Anne saw a cloud of dust, but it was only a block of sheep. Then at length she cried: "I see two horsemen coming, but they are far away." Bluebeard had just seized his wife's hair and raised his cutlass to strike off her head when at that moment her brothers rushed in and slew him.

Code: KN PPP 4

10 x 15" Reproduction: US$48

Image

Detail

East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914)

Rare copies of the 1st Edition of Nielsen's illustrated rendering of East of the Sun and West of the Moon produced by Hodder and Stoughton Ltd (London) and George H. Doran Company (New York) in 1914.

On the left, we show the original decoratively

gilt-stamped blue cloth cover typical of the

Hodder and Stoughton Edition, although

a number of original variant bindings have

been identified.

To the right, we show the original gilt-stamped

black board cover with applied monotone

plate typical of the Doran Edition - this binding

is also known in a Hodder and Stoughton

variant.

East of the Sun and West of the Moon is an English adaptation of a selection of Norse legends from the Norske

Folkeeventyr of Asbjörnsen and Moe.

The 15 tales in the version illustrated by Nielsen include: "East of the Sun and West of the Moon"; "The Blue Belt";

"Prince Lindworm"; "The Lassie and her Godmother"; "The Husband who was to mind the House"; "The Lad who

went to the North Wind"; "The Three Princesses of Whiteland"; "Sophia Moria Castle"; "The Giant who had no

Heart in his Body"; "The Princess on the Glass Hill"; "The Widow's Son"; "The Three Billy-goats Gruff"; "The Three

Princesses in the Blue Mountain"; "The Cat on the Dovrefell"; and "One's own Children are always Prettiest".

Nielsen's colour illustrations were completed for this contribution throughout 1913 and 1914. As with his images

for In Powder and Crinoline, the colour illustrations were reproduced with a 4-colour process. Comment within the

Preface to East of the Sun and West of the Moon describes the images contributed by Nielsen beautifully:

A Folk-Tale, in its primitive plainness of word and entire absence of complexity in thought,

is peculiarly sensitive and susceptible to the touch of stranger hands; and he who has been

able to acquaint himself with the Norske Folkeeventyr of Asbjörnsen and Moe (from which

these stories are selected), has an advantage over the reader of an English rendering. Of this

advantage Mr. Kay Nielsen has fully availed himself: and the exquisite bizarrerie of his

drawings aptly expresses the innermost significant of the old-world, old-wives' fables. For to

term these legends, Nursery Tales, would be to curtail them, by nine-tenths, of their interest.

They are the romances of the childhood of Nations: they are the never-failing springs of

sentiment, of sensation, of heroic example, from which primeval peoples drank their fill

at will.

The quaintness, the tenderness, the grotesque yet realistic intermingling of actuality with

supernaturalism, by which the original Norske Folkeeventyr are characterised, will make an

appeal to all, as represented in the pictures of Kay Nielsen. And these imperishable traditions,

whose bases are among the very roots of antiquity, are here reincarnated in line and colour,

to the delight of all who ever knew or now shall know them.