John Bauer (Swedish, 1882-1918) - Troll under the stars
âI stood on a hilltop. The ground lay dark all around me, and above me the sky arched with its stars. I felt keenly how small I was and how I stood rooted to the earthâs shadow side, subject to the force of gravity. I had the whole world above me.â So wrote the artist John Bauer in 1901 in a letter to his colleague Axel Kleimer after returning from a skiing trip. The quote also reflects a broader intellectual current among turn-of-the-century European artists, often referred to as Symbolism. The years around 1900 were marked by industrialisation, modernity and science, and during this turbulent period there were many artists who turned their gaze towards the darker sides of existence and the mystery of humanity. (source)
