John Bauer was a Swedish painter and illustrator (1882-1918). He incorporated fantastical landscapes and mythology into his art and his favorit subjects to paint were the lanscapes of his home country and the folklore of Europe.  Each piece of art Bauer created started off as a tiny stetch, and then expanded out to fit the canvases he painted on. He did not have a favored medium but used whatever was at hand during the time of creating.   He had inspired many artists that followed him and you will see similarities in the creatures from modern  films such as 'The Dark Crystal' and 'Labyrinth'.   A truely delighful deck to peruse and ponder while sipping coffee or cocoa!