Brother St. Martin and the Three Trolls
1913
Step into the shadowy, vertical world of Swedish folklore with John Bauer’s 1913 masterpiece. Here, the serene, ghostly figure of Brother St. Martin confronts a trio of grumpy trolls huddled behind a massive tree trunk. Bauer, a key figure in the Art Nouveau and National Romantic movements, was famous for reimagining trolls not as scary monsters, but as earthy, grumpy grandpas who blend into the roots and rocks. The tall, straight trees create a cage-like atmosphere, emphasizing the tension between the spiritual monk and the earthy creatures. Tragically, Bauer died in a shipwreck just five years later, cutting short the career of the artist who defined the look of Scandinavian myths.