Publisher's Synopsis
In the late 1910s, Danish illustrator Kay Nielsen put the finishing touches on his illustrations of 'A Thousand and One Nights.' The results are considered masterpieces of early 20th-century illustration: bursting with sumptuous colours of deep blues, reds, and gold leaf, and evoking all the magic of this legendary collection of Indo-Persian and Arabic folktales, compiled between the 8th and 13th centuries. In the financially strapped postwar climate, however, publishers retreated from Nielsen's project and the publication never happened. A rising star, Nielsen moved on to other work, and the spectacular pen, ink, and watercolor images of this world heritage classic remained under lock and key for 40 years. Published in five colours including gold, this presentation of fine art prints revives all 21 illustrations reproduced directly from Nielsen's original watercolours.
