Gustaf Tenggren is one of those great artists that go under that radar of most people, yet his images are known by legions. His work in Disney films, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi and Pinocchio call up the dreaded term "iconic", and every little child (of my generation at least) knows the covers of the children's books The Poky Little Puppy and The Tawny Scrawny Lion.
Though he was born and educated in Sweden, he became and American citizen in 1920, apparently never returning to the place of his birth. He worked for the Disney company for nearly a decade, then went on to do children's books and other projects. I'm wondering if there's some regional aesthetic in places like Sweden and Finland; I see commonalities between some of what Tenggren does and in others, most notably the Finnish artist Tove Jansson.
His versatility of style and his amazing use of muted colour really grab me; he had a fairy tale magic in his stuff that has stuck with me all my life. I think his name should be as recognisable as his amazing work!
There are so many amazing worlds in these images. I'm stunned by them all. Each one represents a different kind of journey, or earthy experience...I love to sit back and admire their textures. I hope you enjoy them!
Though he was born and educated in Sweden, he became and American citizen in 1920, apparently never returning to the place of his birth. He worked for the Disney company for nearly a decade, then went on to do children's books and other projects. I'm wondering if there's some regional aesthetic in places like Sweden and Finland; I see commonalities between some of what Tenggren does and in others, most notably the Finnish artist Tove Jansson.
His versatility of style and his amazing use of muted colour really grab me; he had a fairy tale magic in his stuff that has stuck with me all my life. I think his name should be as recognisable as his amazing work!
There are so many amazing worlds in these images. I'm stunned by them all. Each one represents a different kind of journey, or earthy experience...I love to sit back and admire their textures. I hope you enjoy them!
(click image to enlarge, then use the arrow keys ← → to change images )
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