East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Stunning Century-Old Illustrations for Scandinavian Fairy Tales
By Maria Popova
As a lover of illustrated fairy tales, having just returned from Sweden, I was delighted to discover East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North (public library; public domain) — a collection of Scandinavian fairy tales, illustrated by Danish artist Kay Nielsen (March 12, 1886–June 21, 1957), whose work you might recall from the all-time greatest illustrations of Brothers Grimm and the fantastic visual history of Arabian Nights.
Originally published in 1914, this magnificent tome of fifteen stories and features two dozen color plates, along with a slew of black-and-white illustrations, in Nielsen’s singular style of haunting whimsy.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun7.jpg?resize=680%2C938&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun21.jpg?resize=680%2C944&ssl=1)
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![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun3.jpg?resize=680%2C946&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun1.jpg?resize=680%2C937&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun2.jpg?resize=680%2C1135&ssl=1)
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![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun6.jpg?resize=680%2C939&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun8.jpg?resize=680%2C942&ssl=1)
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![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun10.jpg?resize=680%2C956&ssl=1)
Available as a print and as stationery cards.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun11.jpg?resize=680%2C936&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun12.jpg?resize=680%2C923&ssl=1)
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![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun15.jpg?resize=680%2C941&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun16.jpg?resize=680%2C939&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun17.jpg?resize=680%2C941&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun18.jpg?resize=680%2C934&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun19.jpg?resize=680%2C927&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.themarginalian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/eastofthesun23.jpg?resize=680%2C928&ssl=1)
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Published August 27, 2012
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https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/08/27/kay-nielsen-east-of-the-sun-and-west-of-the-moon/
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