Kay Nielsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kay Nielsen
Illustration by Kay Nielsen
Born	Kay Rasmus Nielsen March 12, 1886 Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	June 21, 1957 (aged 71) Los Angeles, California
Nationality	Danish
Known for	Illustrator
Notable work	East of the Sun and West of the Moon
Movement	Art Nouveau
Spouse(s)	Ulla Pless-Schmidt (1926-death)

Kay Rasmus Nielsen (born March 12, 1886 – died June 21, 1957) was a talented Danish illustrator. He was very popular in the early 1900s during a time called the "golden age of illustration." This was when new printing methods made it easier to print drawings and paintings in books. Nielsen is also famous for working with Disney, where he created many story ideas and pictures, especially for the movie Fantasia.

About Kay Nielsen

His Early Life

Kay Nielsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His family was very artistic. Both his parents were actors. His father, Martinus Nielsen, directed a theater, and his mother, Oda Nielsen, was a famous actress.

Kay Nielsen studied art in Paris, France, from 1904 to 1911. Then he lived in England for five years. His first big job in England was to illustrate a book of fairy tales called In Powder and Crinoline in 1913. He drew 24 colorful pictures and more than 15 black-and-white ones for this book. In the same year, he also drew four pictures for The Illustrated London News. These pictures were for famous fairy tales by Charles Perrault, like 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Cinderella'.

Amazing Artworks

In 1914, Nielsen created 25 colorful pictures and more than 21 black-and-white images for the children's book East of the Sun and West of the Moon. The colorful pictures in this book and In Powder and Crinoline were printed using a special four-color process. This was different from many other artists at the time who used only three colors.

While painting landscapes in England, Nielsen learned new painting techniques. This helped him paint faster. In 1917, he went to New York for an art show and then returned to Denmark. He worked with Johannes Poulsen to paint stage designs for the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen. During this time, Nielsen also started drawing many pictures for a book called The Arabian Nights. However, these illustrations were not published until many years after he passed away.

In the 1920s, Nielsen went back to working on theater sets and costumes in Copenhagen. He married Ulla Pless-Schmidt when he was 40 years old. She was 22 and the daughter of a rich doctor. They were a very loving couple. At this time, he was one of the most famous artists in Scandinavia.

After his theater work, Nielsen started illustrating books again. In 1924, he illustrated Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen. This book had 12 colorful pictures and over 40 black-and-white ones. A year later, he drew pictures for Hansel and Gretel, and Other Stories by the Brothers Grimm. His last big book illustration project was Red Magic in 1930.

Working with Disney

In 1939, Nielsen moved to California to work for Hollywood companies. Joe Grant helped him get a job at The Walt Disney Company. Nielsen's artwork was used in the "Night on Bald Mountain"/"Ave Maria" parts of the movie Fantasia.

Nielsen was known at Disney for his amazing concept art. He drew ideas for many Disney films, including early paintings for a movie based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. This movie was planned to be a collection of different Andersen fairy tales. However, the film was not made during Nielsen's lifetime. His work for The Little Mermaid was finally used when the movie was made in 1989. Nielsen worked for Disney for four years, from 1937 to 1941.

His Final Years

After leaving Disney, Nielsen briefly went back to Denmark. But people there were not interested in his artwork anymore. He spent his last years without much money. His last projects were for local schools and churches in Los Angeles. He painted a mural called 'The First Spring' at Central Junior High School. He also painted a picture for the Wong Chapel at the First Congregational Church, showing the 23rd Psalm.

Kay Nielsen was a heavy smoker and had a long-lasting cough. He passed away on June 21, 1957, at age 71. His funeral was held under his mural in the Wong Chapel. His wife, Ulla, died the next year. Before she passed away, Ulla gave Nielsen's remaining illustrations to another artist, Frederick Monhoff. Monhoff tried to get museums to take them, but no museums in America or Denmark wanted them at that time.

Books Illustrated by Kay Nielsen

• ___ In Powder and Crinoline (Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1913)
• ___ East of the Sun and West of the Moon (Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1914)
• Quiller-Couch, A. T. Twelve Dancing Princesses (Doran, NY, 1923 (Reprint of In Power and Crinoline))
• ___ Andersen's Fairy Tales (Hodder & Stoughton, London,1924)
• ___ Hansel and Gretel (Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1925)
• Wilson, R. Red Magic (Cape, London 1930)

Movies He Worked On

See also

In Spanish: Kay Nielsen para niños