![Kay Nielsen on Mythopoetic](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Banner-Kay-Nielsen-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1536%2C307&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen on Mythopoetic Kay Nielsen on Mythopoetic](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Kay-Nielsen-1.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1)
Kay Nielsen
Copenhagen, Denmark
The enchanter from the North was born in Copenhagen (Denmark) in 1886. Both his parents being actors, he received an artistic education and pursued in this direction by studying art in Paris.
Thanks to his very peculiar style, he was soon commissioned to illustrate a wide variety of fairy tales, from “In Powder and Crinoline” (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch) in 1913, “The Arabian Nights” around 1917, “Fairy Tales” (Hans Andersen) in 1924 as well as the Brother Grimm’s stories in 1925 and “Red Magic” in 1930.
Leaving Denmark for California (USA) in the late 1930’s, he worked for The Walt Disney Company from 1937 to 1941 and collaborated notably on the film “Fantasia”.
He died at the age of 71 when the Sun reached its highest peak on June the 21st, 1957.
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The Duck in the Well" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-Duck-in-the-Well-by-Kay-Nielsen-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art prints of norse fairy tale illustrations "The Giant with no heart in his body" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art prints are sold mounted in wooden frames.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Giant-with-no-heart-in-his-body-by-Kay-Nielsen.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The Farewell" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Farewell-by-Kay-Nielsen.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The Farewell" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Farewell-side-view.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The Strange Man" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Strange-Man-by-Kay-Nielsen.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The Strange Man" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-strange-man-side-view.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The Lad in the Battle" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-Lad-in-the-Battle-by-Kay-Nielsen-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art prints of norse fairy tale illustrations "The Widow's Son" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art prints are sold mounted in wooden frames.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Widows-Son-by-Kay-Nielsen.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art prints of norse fairy tale illustrations "The Widow's Son" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art prints are sold mounted in wooden frames.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Widows-Son-by-Kay-Nielsen.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The Strange Man" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-Strange-Man-by-Kay-Nielsen-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The White Bear" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/white-bear-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The White Bear" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/white-bear-3.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "I'll Search You Out" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/begged-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "I'll Search You Out" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/begged-4.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The North Wind " from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-North-Wind-by-Kay-Nielsen.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The North Wind " from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-North-Wind-side-view.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art print of norse fairy tale illustration "The Big Dense Snowdrift" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art print is sold mounted in a wooden frame.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-Big-Dense-Snowdrift-by-Kay-Nielsen-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
![Kay Nielsen art prints of norse fairy tale illustrations "The three princesses in the blue mountain" from East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914). The art prints are sold mounted in wooden frames.](https://i0.wp.com/mytho-poetic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-three-princesses-in-the-blue-mountain-by-Kay-Nielsen.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)