An Old Troll (1911 CE)

An Old Troll, painted by John Bauer in 1911, is a haunting and suggestive work in which the artist captures one of the most characteristic beings of his Nordic imaginative world. The troll stands with its hands on its hips and meets the viewer with a squinting gaze, as if guarding a secret. With its simple crown, thick gold arm rings, and three dark ravens at its side, it emerges from a shadowy background that heightens the painting’s mysterious presence. Unlike many of Bauer’s best-known images, this work is not tied to a specific fairy tale, but instead appears as a free and independent vision from his mythic universe.*

John Bauer in 1911

The painting was created during an important moment in John Bauer’s career. By this time, Bauer was already one of Sweden’s most admired artists through his illustrations for Among Gnomes and Trolls (1907–1915), yet in 1911 a dispute with his publisher over the ownership of his original works led him to step away from that year’s volume, which was instead assigned to the Danish artist Louis Moe. During the same period, Bauer devoted himself to illustrating Viktor Rydberg’s Fädernas gudasaga, a work centered on Nordic mythology. This shift also gave him room to create independent paintings such as An Old Troll, in which his fascination with trolls and mythical beings could take a freer and more self-contained form.

Early Owners and Collecting Interest

In an undated letter to his family, preserved in the archives of Jönköpings läns museum, Bauer recounts a visit from Baron Harald Bildt, a chamberlain and art enthusiast who purchased several of his troll-themed works. Bildt’s later acquisition of An Old Troll at a Bukowskis auction in 1915 shows that the painting quickly attracted interest among collectors. From an early stage, the work thus moved within circles that appreciated Bauer’s singular visual world and the evocative power of his folkloric imagery.

Folklore and Visual Language

The painting holds an important place within the broader context of Swedish romantic nationalism and the early twentieth-century revival of interest in Nordic folklore. Bauer’s art, shaped by influences from the Italian Renaissance, Sámi culture, and his travels in Lapland, Germany, and Italy, combines idealization with close observation in a highly distinctive visual language. The troll, a central figure in Swedish folk tradition, is presented here with both dignity and slyness, balancing the regal and the mischievous. The three ravens deepen the painting’s atmosphere of ambiguity and may suggest watchfulness, hidden knowledge, or a connection to an otherworldly realm.

Material, Format, and Painterly Effect

An Old Troll is an oil painting on canvas mounted on panel, measuring 44 x 44 cm (17.3 x 17.3 in.). Its square format gives the composition a concentrated and balanced character, focusing attention on the troll and its bird companions. The work is signed and dated “JOHN BAUER 1911” in the artist’s own hand. Bauer’s use of oil creates rich textures and soft transitions, especially in the troll’s facial features, jewelry, and costume details. The dark and muted background contrasts with the figure’s vivid presence, producing the moody, atmospheric effect so closely associated with his art.

Provenance

The provenance of the painting is well documented and traces its passage through several notable owners. The first known owner was the pharmacist and collector Carl Piltz (1881–1919), whose financial difficulties led to the sale of the work at a Bukowskis auction in December 1915 following his bankruptcy the year before. It was then acquired by Baron Harald Bildt (1876–1947), a chamberlain and enthusiastic collector of Bauer’s troll paintings. Later, the work belonged to Axel Borg (1869–1958), Chief Inspector of the Postal Checking Office, who kept it until the 1950s. Today, the painting remains in a private Swedish collection, preserving its place within the country where it was created.