Theodor Kittelsen’s (1857-1914) works are firmly anchored in Norwegian folklore. The artist is famous in his homeland for his nature paintings and his fantastic illustrations of fairy tales and legends: especially trolls are the focus of many of his paintings and drawings. Kittelsen’s great love of nature is revealed in his idyllic landscape paintings. 

As a young man he wanted to become a painter, but it would be his drawings that brought him great success. Here he found an outlet for his sense of humour and his enthusiasm for stories, fairy tales, the comedic and the magic of nature. Kittelsen’s pictures of trolls, princesses and animals have captured the imaginations of generations.

His close connection with natural surroundings – not only their mystical and secretive aspects, but also their subtle and evocative ones – is reflected in his drawings. He often used realistic renditions of the landscape as a basis for his works, but incorporated elements of age-old legends to introduce an extra dimension.