Nyström, Jenny

Jenny Nyström (1854-1946), artist. Born in Kalmar, the family later moved to Gothenburg through her father's work as a public school teacher. Once there, she began her artistic career through the Kjellberg Girls' School and the Gothenburg Museum's drawing school. She was noticed early on for her talent. Nyström studied at the Art Academy, where she began to lay the foundations for her fame, when she made illustrations for books, magazines and postcards, in order to support herself. Otherwise, her early painting was characterized by depictions of folk life and portraits. She then became the Kalmar girl who went to Paris for further art studies. Most of all noticed for his self-portrait in oil at the French "Salon", which can now be found at the Kalmar County Museum. After returning to Sweden, she was active in Sthlm until her death. During her studies, she had begun a collaboration with Viktor Rydberg, his fairy tale "Little Vigg's Adventure on Christmas Eve" (1875), she made drawings for. Rydberg also had her illustrate the poem "Tomten" (1881). Through these illustrations, she began her lifelong relationship with Santa. Her long career and work as an illustrator for children's and youth literature has made her popular and loved in Sweden for generations.