THE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION

24 NOV - 7 JAN

John Bauer • Helle Bang • Curators Choice

LINKÖPING, THE GALLERY, 24 NOV - 7 JAN

THE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION

The opening weekend for the Johan Bauer Collection by Helle Bang enveloped the gallery in a magical atmosphere with the help of The Bauer Quartet's harmonious music. An opening weekend that also marked the start of Galleri Melefor's traditional Christmas salon. With John Bauer and a magical atmosphere, we enter the month of December packed with exciting works of art and news.

We are pleased to present a collection of works by famous classical and modern artists where the seller wishes us not to publish the works online. The collection, which includes sought-after works by GAN, Inge Schiöler, Bruno Liljefors, Anders Zorn, and others, invites you to an extra exciting visit to the gallery!

The traditional Christmas Salon runs in the gallery and on melefors.com until January 7, 2024. to buy works of art as fine gifts for loved ones. Remember to place the order in advance, especially if it is a work to be framed, to ensure delivery in good time before Christmas!

Welcome into the warmth!

FIND & BOOK YOUR ARTWORK

Galleri Melefors together with the artist Helle Bang donate SEK 1,000 per sold sculpture from the Bauer Collection Edition 36 for the benefit of Lisa Bauer & The Bauer Quartet and their work in setting John Bauer's artwork to music and song. Book your work now!

OPENING HOURS

Vernissage weekend Fri 24 Nov - Sun 26 Nov.

The magical Christmas salon then runs until January 7 according to regular opening hours

WHERE

Gallery Melefors
Platensgatan 7, Linköping

The Bauer Quartet

Enchanting live music in the gallery
Friday 24/11 at 17:00 & 19:00
Saturday 25/11 at 13:00

LISTEN TO THEM HERE

JOHN BAUER • HELLE BANG

A WORLD OF MAGIC & MYSTERY

The beloved John Bauer died only 36 years old, but despite this managed to shape the original image of the Swedish folk tales. Now we are launching John Bauer Edition 36, an exclusive edition of 11 figures created as a tribute to the Swedish artist and illustrator. The Danish artist Helle Bang has carefully shaped these magical figures with her own hands with reverence and inspiration from the fairy tales that John Bauer made so famous.

Helle Bang has had solo and collective exhibitions all over the Nordics and has also seen her statues and paintings adorning many public places and private collections. Since early childhood, she has been inspired and fascinated by the mystery and beauty of nature, a common denominator with John Bauer during the creation of the tribute collection.

It is a true privilege to present parts of his life's work in this exclusive edition of 11 bronze sculptures in edition 36, to honor John Bauer's 36 years on earth. Here you will see his enchanted world of mysterious creatures rise from storybook illustrations and take shape in magical bronze sculptures.

In a gallery imbued with a magical atmosphere with a live performance by The Bauer Quartet, we invite you to experience art with multiple senses. The opening weekend 24-26 November and the sensational Bauer exhibition mark the start of the Christmas Exhibition and the end of Galleri Melefors' 10-year anniversary. Welcome!

EXCLUSIVE CLASSIC & MODERN ARTWORKS

For the Christmas exhibition, we have the privilege of conveying a collection of exclusive works by masters such as Anders Zorn, Inge Schiöler, GAN, Lars Lerin, Lennart Jirlow and more. Visit the gallery or contact us for information

JOHN BAUER COLLECTION by HELLE BANG

EXCLUSIVE EDITION IN LIMITED EDITION OF 36

Now launches the table-sized John Bauer Collection, an exclusive edition of 11 bronze sculptures created as a tribute to the Swedish artist and illustrator John Bauer. The Danish artist Helle Bang has been inspired by the fairy tales that John Bauer made so famous and has carefully designed these tasteful figures with her own hands. Bauer himself was tragically only 36 years old, but despite his short time on earth he managed to shape the image of how we view the classic fairy tales. A world of images that live on over a hundred years later, and are more sought after than ever. It is a true privilege to present parts of his magical life's work in this edition of 11 bronze sculptures in a limited edition of 36. Enter among gnomes and trolls in the deep, moss-heavy fairy-tale troll forest and explore the beautiful works.

Galleri Melefors together with the artist Helle Bang donate SEK 1,000 per sold sculpture from the Bauer Collection Edition 36 for the benefit of Lisa Bauer & The Bauer Quartet and their work in setting John Bauer's artwork to music and song. For all sold works in the edition of 11 different works, the scholarship amounts to a total of SEK 396,000.

LISA BAUER & THE BAUER QUARTET

Through his illustrations, John Bauer has given us the opportunity to step into a world filled with mystery and beauty. The Danish artist Helle Bang has been fascinated by his pictures and created a tribute in bronze. The music of The Bauer Quartet completes the experience - for all your senses!

Lisa Bauer tells:
“John Bauer is my grandmother's uncle. I grew up with his art covering the walls from floor to ceiling at my grandmother's house. John Bauer has always fascinated and inspired me with the creativity to create everything from tiny, detailed paintings to librettos and stage art. I am happy and proud to, through my singing and our music in the quartet, bring his work to life again and create an experience that reaches all the senses.”

JOHN BAUER

John Bauer (1882-1918) was a Swedish artist, painter and illustrator who is best known for his fairy-tale illustrations for, among other things, "Bland tomtar och troll". He became only 36 years old, but despite this he shaped the image of the Swedish folktales.

The Danish artist Helle Bang has been fascinated by his images and created a tribute in the form of a unique collection of bronze sculptures. Come and get to know Helle Bang's creation and John Bauer's world during Galleri Melefor's traditional Christmas Salon.

During the Christmas salon, we have the pleasure of presenting John Bauer's entire sought-after lithograph collection "Troll". Take part in the classic works below!

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN BAUER

THE TALES BEHIND THE SCULPTURES

THE BOY AND THE TROLL OR THE ADVENTURE

"Look at them," said the Trollmother. Look at my sons! There are no more beautiful trolls this side of the moon!

The beautiful princess is sitting on a rock deep in the dark forest. She is surrounded by trolls from the gray mountains who have taken her prisoner. The mother troll is absolutely delighted that the beautiful princess will have to marry one of her three troll sons. They try to impress the princess with fine gifts of silver, gold, and precious stones. But the princess is in despair and refuses to live the rest of her life trapped underground. Meanwhile, a young boy is out in search of adventure on his way through the forest. He has followed the trolls and manages to save the princess from the trolls with the help of a magical formula he picked learned on his journey through the great forest. A spell that only a young boy who is not afraid of trolls or the dark can use

MOTHER TROLL AT THE TABLE WITH THE PRINCESS

“Why don't you come to my room? The air there is absolutely fantastic! The windows haven't been opened in a thousand years. It is full of silver, gold and precious stones that shine and sparkle brighter than any star!”

From Walter Stenström's fairy tale "The Boy and the Trolls or the Adventure" illustrated by John Bauer in 1915, Helle Bang has captured the iconic scene. The mother troll tries to convince the princess of all the wonderful things about being a troll so that the princess will want to marry one of her sons.

THE PRINCESS TUVSTARR AT THE FOREST POND

Princess Tuvstarr sits despairingly at the edge of the dark forest pond. The fairies took her crown, the forest witch her dress and finally she has lost her necklace in the dark water. At the edge of the forest pond, she remains to this day. You can glimpse her spirit in the flower named after her - Tuvstarr.

John Bauer's iconic pictures of Princess Tuvstarr were published in "The Tale of the Moose Bull Skutt and the Little Princess Tuvstarr" by Helge Kjelli in "Bland tomtar och troll" in 1913.

THE BOY WHO WAS NEVER AFRAID

"Here you will get a piece of a magic herb, which no one but me can look for"

The story is about a boy who ventures into the depths of Hultaskogen to search for the croft's only dairy cow that the trolls have taken. Since the boy cannot be afraid, he is kind-hearted and kind to all beings and things in the world. Why then would any of them wish the boy harm? Soon the boy meets Hultaskogen's green-haired witch, the forest roe, who gets caught dangling by her long hair in a large fir tree. The boy helps her down and as a thank you receives a piece of magic herb with which the boy can understand and speak to the beings of the forest. Soon, with the help of his kindness, and the magic herb, he has won over the dreaded Bälg dog and the king of the forest, Nalle the bear, to his side. With their help, the boy succeeds in freeing the family's dairy cow, Blomsterfina, from the trolls' hideous lair.

"The boy who was never afraid" was written by Alfred Smedberg and published with illustrations by John Bauer in 1912 in the magazine "Bland tomtar och troll".

THE MOOSE SKUTT AND THE LITTLE PRINCESS TUVSTARR

"Hold fast my horns with both hands and they will have no power over you."

In this fairy tale, the little princess Tuvstarr goes on an adventure from the safe but oh so boring court of the castle. She wants to be free to explore and experience the outside world. She has the moose Skutt to help her. Wise and experienced, he tries to warn Princess Tuvstarr that the world is big, cold, and inhospitable, that the deep forest is full of evil dangers. But despite Skutt's advice, the treacherous fairies take Tuvstarr's crown and the forest witch her dress. Finally, she drops her necklace with a golden heart in the deep dark forest pond and remains forever at its shore. The moose prays and asks Tuvstarr to come home with him, but she remains there by the water looking for her lost heart, forever looking down into the pond.

The pictures of John Bauer were published with "The tale of the elk bull Skutt and the little princess Tuvstarr" by Helge Kjelli in "Bland tomtar och troll" in 1907.

THE GOLDEN KEYS

"Lena and the knight dance in the land of dreams"

The old king has died, and times have changed now that the queen rules the kingdom alone. The shepherdess Lena guards the queen's sheep and has an angelic singing voice. She is given a golden key by three fairies, a key to the paradise of dreams. There she meets a handsome knight with whom she dances every night. A knight who exists for real and courts the queen. Lena understands that it is the same man and tries to catch his attention. But the queen is cruel and subjects Lena to many torments. In the end, the three fairies intervene and conjure the cruel queen away so that Lena and the knight have each other and create their own paradise with flowers and birds.

"The Golden Keys" was written by WE Björk and published in "Bland tomtar och troll" with illustrations by John Bauer in 1915.

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